Ression? Is the downturn affecting you?

[Sean@WMS]

I guess this post is more proper for the politics section than anything else . . .

Much debate of late over the "R" word ( "recession" ), but it's even passed over the lips of Ben Bernanke.

Beyond doubt, there is a sluggishness to the American economy. We have have more small/on-the-side type businesses closing shop in this quarter than we'd normally see over two, more like three years. We also have a lot of anecdotal from successful, larger businesses that sales are down. I have other metrics that also illustrate that times are tough for our and other online merchants in all manner of industries. Our own metrics are not lively either; we've been running more or less rather flat since Nov. 2007.

Is the sluggishness in the American economy affecting your business and/or the businesses you support? Interested to learn what others are experiencing here.

[John Scott]

The weak dollar sucks for me. I live in Japan, and the exchange rate has been crap for several months now.

[Rankenstein]

The £ is strong against the $, but it is also weakening against the € - so holidays are good, but only in the States.

The downturn is affecting many people in the UK though - it is very very difficult to get a mortgage now, for instance. It seems that a third of all UK estate agents will go out of business if this keeps up. Credit is now being given in a realistic fashion, and the banks actually want to know if you can properly repay loans so we can't just lie about our incomes anymore.

So yes, in the UK, the US recession is hitting us.

[Sean@WMS]

Originally Posted by John Scott

The weak dollar sucks for me. I live in Japan, and the exchange rate has been crap for several months now.

Excellent point, John . . . I forgot to included that in my initial question!

[Sean@WMS]

Originally Posted by Rankenstein

The £ is strong against the $, but it is also weakening against the € - so holidays are good, but only in the States.

The downturn is affecting many people in the UK though - it is very very difficult to get a mortgage now, for instance. It seems that a third of all UK estate agents will go out of business if this keeps up. Credit is now being given in a realistic fashion, and the banks actually want to know if you can properly repay loans so we can't just lie about our incomes anymore.

So yes, in the UK, the US recession is hitting us.

Sounds like a play by play of what's happening here too, Rankenstein.

[stewart]

I'll be moving out to the West coast soon, higher gas prices and all! hah. Hopefully the "recession" we're slipping into doesn't affect that too much ;D

[jabo]

Originally Posted by John Scott

The weak dollar sucks for me. I live in Japan, and the exchange rate has been crap for several months now.

I live in the Philippines and same goes on... dollar is weak, corruption is everywhere. sorta losing hope with the countries economic and political standings.

[wendallb]

gasoline prices is what is hurting me

[Sean@WMS]

If I may . . . .

I was really trying to poll on this:

Is the sluggishness in the American economy affecting your business and/or the businesses you support? Interested to learn what others are experiencing here.

So, if gasoline/petrol is affecting your BUSINESS -- how so? Are you directly shipping product? Do you have to drive around a lot to visit clients?

Also, I was hoping to see a better ratio of poll votes to responses. Did I not set the poll up correctly? Wondering why far fewer folks are voting on the poll than are responding to the thread.

[thegamerslink]

Being in a mostly retired status I can't really rate whethere business is different or the same, hope to soon though we'll see.....any how, I voted on the above basing the vote on whether there have been drastic changes in household function for my household as well as the household of my father and mother in-law here, and any changes in my parents household in Nebraska....and there really hasn't been any significant changes to life styles or things that we do or don't do. Actually my family is a bit more stable than it was a few months ago financially. I also am going by my observations of others that I come in contact with and by watching the local restaurants, gas stations, and electronics/department stores traffic....I don't see much of a change there either. My wife works at an Amusement park and the traffic there is actually better this year than it was this time last year.....my point of view I am sure is skewed by the fact that we live in out in the country in a rural community, and even the town that has the Amusement park and the business's I have been watching isn't all that big.....but from what I have seen and heard from business owners, teachers, store managers, girl scout parents etc there isn't a lot of change other than the price of gas and that hasn't slowed many down hardly if any at all....if anything I'm seeing the opposite in this area as far as economic trend, to bad the rest of the country or the world couldn't take part as well......as for the lending department well, that's going to be screwed for a bit until the bankers get their heads back where the sun shines...what can ya do....

[thegamerslink]

Forgot to add as well, the Towns surround an Air Force Base, so I am quite sure that skews the impact versus areas that don't get that stable impact.