I recently read a blog post by George F. Colony on the impact that this recession will have on business. His premise: that this recession is unlike those we have experienced in my lifetime. When we come out on the other side we will find that there has been a fundamental shift in the way we do business and connect with our customers. A major change is taking place in the way we communicate, even in the way we meet people.  Ask any of the early adopters of Twitter and Facebook and they can give you concrete examples of the impact on their lives.  I began my foray into Twitter in January of this year.  The result has been a strong connection with people in my own town that I would not have met otherwise; people who have sparked new ideas, new opportunities for collaboration, and new ways to give back to my community.  There has been a fundamental shift in the way I connect with people and I am a better networker for it. There have been amazing rewards, not the monetary kind, but a much richer, more diverse group of friends that have enriched my life.

What will the world look like on the otherside of this recession? Mr. Colony has articulated this much better than I can, but the changes in my world lend credence to the possibility that he is correct. Take the time to read his blog, it is definitely worth your while: http://blogs.forrester.com/colony/2009/06/the-gateway-recession-what-ceos-will-face-next.html