The lesson to take away from this New York Times article on how sales of candy have risen during the recession is, of course, not literally that you should go into the candy business. The point is, rather, that you should be thinking about how the recession can play to your business's strengths, and then double-down on that aspect of your business. (Another example: the butcher featured in the video we linked to yesterday pointed out that, because of the recession, lots of people are cooking at home rather than going out--good news for someone who sells raw meat.) So ask yourself: what part of your business is recession-friendly?
Meanwhile, it does appear that if you do happen to be in the candy business, you are making out like a bandit right now. (Fun pop-sociological fact: some of America's most iconic candies, including the Tootsie Pop, the almond Mars bar, and Snickers, date back to, yes, the early years of the Great Depression.) Which reminds us: it's high time that the Senate get around to confirming the heir to the Tootsie Pop fortune as our next Small Business Administration head.
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