As news of an economic slowdown loomed last fall, I googled “depression” to get some ideas on how to stay at the top of the tide. I found interesting details about Chevrolet’s ability to make it through the great depression by boosting advertising and appealing to specific markets. Now the very same company has entered bankruptcy. But the auto industry is far from dead.

Yesterday’s USA Today made this point clear highlighting VW, Mercedes & Kia who are all experiencing growth despite the economic downturn. Why? All have increased their advertising budgets by nearly 40%. The moral of the story? More than just hard work will keep us on top. Don’t allow fear to close our pocketbooks. Its time to spend.

And the great thing is advertising costs are at record lows, especially TV & radio. Don’t allow this historic chance to get your name out there slip away. So the next time you hear someone complain about their business being down, ask them by what percentage they’ve increased their advertising!