A Flashlight In The Dark

March 5, 2008 - Leave a comment...

LighthouseI recently shared a bit of anxiety with a good friend of mine who’s self-employed like me (heck, as musicians most of my friends are self-employed). As fun as being a “rock star” is, there’s always that nagging worry at the end of the day about paying bills. And that’s during the good times.

This friend confides that he’s as worried as I am about the coming economic upheaval, though he carries a much prettier game face than I do. Sometimes I wonder if that’s really all that’s necessary in times like this; if carrying a flashlight in the dark can help you find the light you’re looking for.

Obviously by posting this I’m letting you look behind my game face to see the concerned businessman underneath, but I suspect there are a lot of you who are in my shoes- indie musicians, small marketing firms, freelance designers, etc.

So I’ll make you a deal: I’ll try to remind you why you got into business doing what you love (and try to send some business your way) if you do the same for me. Maybe with enough flashlights out there we won’t see the dark anymore.

[tags]Matthew Ebel, piano rock, recession, economy, entrepreneurship, enterprise starship, enter the dragstrip, unnecessary tags[/tags]

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  • http://www.christopherspenn.com Christopher S. Penn

    At least you’re being realistic about what lies ahead. Hope is useful and important, but hope alone is not enough.

  • jarrod

    Just be patient.

    Election years always present challenges to the economy. With everything going on in the world, this is a lot more uncertainty. But you’ll be okay. It’ll all be fine. You sell a quality product, and that’s what matters most.

    We always need to be entertained, Matt. And when it’s darkest, that’s when we need people like you most. Just watch.

    I mean, read your blog from the outside. You’ve just gotten on how many new radio stations? :)

    Yes.. the next few months are going to be rough and a bit shaky. But you’ll make it. I promise.

  • Dad

    Matt:

    Well, son, take heart! The world is not coming to an end. The economy acts like a slinky all the time. Expanding and contracting in its own way, usually sort of unpredictably, and always presenting us with challenges.

    In 1971, when we got out of the service, we were in a recession and jobs were scarce. In 1974-5 credit and real estate got tight. In 1973 and 1977 there were oil embargoes and shortages. In 1979, interest rates started to climb to unheard of levels. In 1987 the stock market took a huge dive. Since then we’ve had ‘market corrections’ galore, dot com booms and busts, real estate booms and busts.

    Hey, this is nothiing new. You just think it is because it’s the first time you’ve been thru it. But the world keeps turning. There’s plenty of resources left. Lot’s of demand, especially for YOUR product. People need an escape, or the truth, or entertainment, so what YOU do is valuable and in demand. (and AFFORDABLE)

    Sooner or later, confidence returns to the American people, for what ever reason, and they start buying and investing all over again. Jobs come back. Different jobs than before. Think about it. During the period covered by the above comments, what has happened? Microsoft. Internet. Cell phones. Apple. PC’s. Hybrid cars. Price of technology has dropped all along. Your first computer was an ADAM from Coleco, and cost $500 at Safeway in 1983. It had 80k of ram. I can go to Costco today and get some monster laptop with mega ram and tons of HD space for the same dough.

    The good news: mostly, it doesn’t matter who gets elected.

    Take heart. The good times will return.

    Love,

    Dad