The "Bail Out Plan" and Me

There's a lot of hype about the state of the economy and the impact or non-impact of the 'Bail Out Deal'. We all have our political ideas, and most people's default reaction is to focus on "the ones to blame". The truth however, even if we get to it, and even if we correctly ascribe blame, only leads to lessons learned for the future. It doesn't help us personally in the short-term; we need some personal plan of action.

We can also question the extent to which individuals will benefit from the 'Bail Out Deal'. While it is evident some major action is necessary, bailing out a ship does not make it more seaworthy if it still has holes. And sitting back and hoping our future will automatically improve because others make decisions for us, is not going to help anyone in the long-term.

So what can we do to help ourselves? I believe the answer is to ask what can we do to help others. Ethically I prefer this model anyway, but even if we are completely selfish, we'll still find it's the best way to benefit ourselves. 'Others' are potential partners, resources, entrepreneurs and clients. Wealth still exists, even if its location changes. This is the time to look for new strategies, new frontiers and new business models. More importantly, I believe this is the time for new partnerships. The only way to 'think outside the box', is to connect with those whose worldviews are different - those who come from different communities and from different countries. Those who seize the opportunity first, will be those who gain most. This crisis should force us to be more forward-thinking. It could even turn out to be the starting point for the greatest progress yet.

To find out more about connecting with internationals and new markets, or to discuss further, email me.

Jonathan Bernd - Developing New Markets.