So many people are struggling at the moment every day the television and radio scream out messages of doom and gloom. Many individuals have been hit by redundancies and are in fear of their future. To make things worse, the press seems to blow everything out of perspective. Mind you I can't blame the journalists because papers with headlines like "STOCK MARKET CRASH" sell much better than ones that mildly inform the reader, of the truth, that the market has dipped by a hundred points.

There is no denying that we are officially in a recession, and it may not seem like it now but these things are cyclical. The economy will recover. There is one other point to mention and that is - money can be made in times of hardship a recent example of this was George Soros who, reputably, made $1 billion when the UK pulled out of the ERM in the 1990s.

That is very exciting news for entrepreneurs that have the opportunity to drive their own businesses. In all challenges there is opportunity for growth. They have to be willing to take the steps necessary to succeed when the business landscape changes dramatically. The first stage is they have to take a step back as assess where they are and how the shape of their business will hold up to face the new challenges..

The second step is to look at current services offered and make changes. You must be willing to alter what you are doing to satisfy different demands bought on by the change in economic outlook. A recent article stated "the person with the most flexibility will prevail". Simply put this means we have to adapt to survive and thrive. Entrepreneurs and business owners that determine the changes necessary and take action to make those changes very quickly are the most successful.

This does not mean you have to become an expert at macroeconomics but you will have to keep your eyes open and look for opportunities when they present themselves. Measure everything to see what is working and what HAS to change, test things and, above all, try new ideas.

When you think of opportunity one place to get guidance from is the gold rush in the USA some years ago when prospectors in their thousands headed off to the Klondike in search of instant wealth. There are many lessons you can derive from the gold rush but a few simple points is all that will be raised here.

1. Why did people run to the Klondike? The answer is because thats where the gold was. An interesting point but to make money you have to look in places where there is some gold.

2. Did they all get rich? No they didn't, most of them ended up poor and broken but look at the ones who succeeded. A man realized all new prospectors needed equipment so he opened up a hardware store, he got rich, another opened a bar, another a restaurant, I'm sure you have the picture by now. These people were flexible, they went for gold but changed their plan when they saw the opportunity.

3. Was it easy money? No; the ones who succeeded worked hard and they worked smart, they saw opportunities that others didn't and they moved to make things happen.

We have our own version of the Klondike which is opening up all over the world and we can take part in the modern gold rush. The Internet is the new Klondike, there are people making millions every day on the net. Are they clever than you? Were they richer when they started out? Or are they prospectors who saw gold, made a plan and saw it through? The Internet is a fantastic place where normal people can start and make a great living very easily all they have to do is be flexible, take a chance and make a plan.

If you need help, training and making a plan for the future please visit my site and see if you can shape your future on the new Klondike.