So many businesses and lines of work have been hurt by the recession. What is thriving?
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Jeruba (
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October 16th, 2009
Yes, we know that health care still has openings and that there’s a need for teachers. That’s not what I’m asking. I want to know what business or market niches are booming in the present economy.
For instance, I heard an NPR report about the fact that sacramental wines are doing extremely well. Time are tough, church attendance is up, more people are taking communion. People who supply churches with the ritual necessities are profiting nicely.
Who else is doing uncommonly well in the present economy? For whom is this a quiet blessing?
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Many service organisations are doing well as people decide to repair rather than replace.
Vintage clothing sales are up. While I’m sure trends in fashion are a major influence, I strongly believe people are: a) disgusted with mass-produced, cookie-cutter, cheaply-made products, and b) are opting to save money by purchasing 2nd-hand goods.
The sex industry in all its glory.
Escapism: Movies and DVD’s and Video Games
Nobel Prizes
Here in Australia McDonald’s is posting its highest quarterly profits ever.
Funeral homes… People are always dying to get in. Ba-dum, psshhh!
Dog groomers. Most people continue to get their dogs groomed on a regular basis even if they have to scrimp in another area to pay the bill.
Companies like PwC do well as they are appointed administrators to all manner of companies that go under as do general Insolvency Lawyers
I know in the last recession, bankruptcy lawyers made out like bandits and I imagine the same is true in this one.
@RareDenver, law firms have taken a terrible hit during the past year. The majority of law school graduates from last spring did not have jobs to go to. Even the Ivies were telling their grads to do a year or two of public service, and then look for work.
@rooeytoo That is (thankfully) usually true in most cases, also about cats and other pets. Pet owners will (usually) go hungry before they will let their pet starve.
@NewZen Although I’ve read that the animal shelters are full of animals that people cannot afford to keep any more.
Lobbying. The healthcare industry alone employs over 3,000 lobbyists in Washington, most of whom earn 6 figures.
@janbb That hasn’t nor will it change. Maybe a few more or less, but that has nothing to do with people who DO care for their pets.
Those who put them up for adoption have their reasons; sometimes, due to the economic situation, somtimes moving and sometimes they are just ASSHOLES.
What can you do? People put babies up for adoption too, and also abuse kids.
I was talking about GOOD pet owners.
I’ll stop this rant now. Sorry. Has nothing to do with you, @janbb
Used book sales on Amazon. It’s hurting my second business (selling my science fiction novel). The new one costs $23.95, but there are 10 used ones at the moment starting at $10.00. So most people don’t buy the new one, but a used one which they sell again. It’s great for Amazon (or Ebay), but not so great for me. Well, my first business is in IT and computer expertise is always needed, even during a crisis, so I’ve got no reason to complain.
I plug your book all the time with my students. You’d be surprised, I think, to know how many people (English speakers) are interested in your book in other parts of the world. I hope this translates to actual sales. I do know of some who have downloaded the first chapter PDF (for free) and… we’ll see. How’re sales over there in Deutchland?
undertakers
insurance companies
rightwing fearmongers and demagogues
@NewZen – Thanks, my friend for spreading the word! Well, overall it’s something like 75% US, 15% UK, 5% Germany and 5% rest of the world. On www.amazon.de I just got 2 reviews in German (compared to the 19 in the US). But like everywhere else, people sell the novel as a used book and many rather pay 10€ instead of €19. Before the recession more people bought the new ones.
Alcohol and also auctioneers are both doing very well during the recession.
Fluther of course :D
I have it every morning.
Agricultural equipment manufacturing is booming. Building the machines that feed the world is ON FIRE. Record sales last year, and expected records for the 2010 models.
I’m in litigation management… we’re booming
Unemployed people sitting home, watching daytime TV… commercial comes on “have you taken XYZ drug? You may be entitled to monetary damages…”
Every time the economy takes a downturn, I get swamped
@PandoraBoxx that’s why I said general Insolvency Lawyers and not Lawyers in general
@ragingloli insurance companies ?
How do you figure that?
@mattbrowne what is this book you speak of, can you provide a link please?
I might even buy it, and if I do I promise I’ll buy a new one :-)
I know a couple guys who work for a financial company that makes money each time a stock is bought or sold. So even when the stock market was taking a nose dive, they were raking in money off each share sold.
The New Yorker had an article about the guys who change the locks on foreclosed homes. They couldn’t get to the houses fast enough.
@ragingloli I agree with RareDenver – insurance companies are not doing well. When businesses are not doing well and there is no construction going on, insurance doesn’t sell well. My husband owns an agency and believe me, it’s been slow.
Where my husband works they are thriving. In fact they are stressed out because there is too much work and not enough workers.
He works in an organic herb distributor. They don’t grow the herbs but they test them for organic quality (i mean they really really test them), they market them, and they sell them locally, nationally, and internationally.
Sales of virtual goods are booming. It’s a billion dollar market now.
@mattbrowne What about signing some of them—won’t that make the full price more enticing?
@skfinkel my friend wrote a book and a signed copy will increase it’s value but less so if it contains a personal message, I told him to write one anyway as I would rather have a personal message from him than money.
Yes, I’m aware how important signed copies are to many readers and I’ve done this occasionally. Most readers are in the US and I live in Europe, so sending it back and forth requires a bit of an effort. It’s a 730 pages book so standard postage is quite expensive. Of course, there’s media mail (book rates) and I tried this once. Instead of the usual 3–4 days it took more than 5 weeks. You can find it on Amazon (or other online stores) when searching “Matt Browne” or “The Future Happens Twice”. If you like a signed copy, please send me a PM.
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