There are reasons to be positive and stay motivated in these difficult times

By: Douglas Heizer

I’ve spent a lot of time this past week meeting with business owners in Boca Raton, and I’ve seen that the retail market is still not up where it should be.

It’s sad to see people who are sad. I try to give

these men and women a pat on the back for surviving during a tough economic period – and some of them tell me they don’t know how long they can go on like this. It’s tiring, it’s depressing, and it’s just plain hard work to come in every day not knowing if by the end of the afternoon, there will be more dollars in the cash register than the previous day.

I’m not a motivational speaker, but I know that this sluggish economy will pass. I hope it will happen soon, but no one can be sure. We hear things from Washington, D.C. about the nation’s financial system getting better. But it’s hard to believe everything. Can we really kick start the economy when the U.S. has reached its debt limit – a debt measured in many trillions of dollars?

In these troubling times, business owners are often stuck in the middle. On the one hand, they have to make sure that their retail shop, store or commercial industry makes a profit each day. On the other hand, they have to be certain that their workers receive the pay they deserve so they can support themselves and their families and not end up on the unemployment rolls.

If I could give citizens some words of advice, they would be: Stay motivated, and remain positive. Look for signs of improvement.

I’ve been watching the TV coverage of the recent tornadoes that have destroyed many communities in the Midwest. I was moved – almost to tears – when I saw that someone had attached an American flag to a broken piece of wood atop a pile of debris that was once a home. Now, that takes courage. It takes tremendous inner fortitude when all your possessions, all your goods and all the things you hold dear have been wiped out by a powerful act of nature.

If you drive around Boca Raton, you can see shopping plazas where many stores are vacant. You see restaurants with dining areas that are practically empty.

But you also see stores that are flourishing. You see eating places with waiting lines. You see shopping mall parking lots filled to overflowing with cars.

There is a reason to be positive and to work for the day when these difficult times are just bad memories. There is reason to be motivated, for the sake of your children, grandchildren and the community you call home. Even the city of Boca Raton is being motivated to make its downtown a more popular place to visit, to enjoy special activities and to spend money.

If everyone spends a few dollars, it’s a good start. A small investment now can return a larger investment later. That is my message. And if want me to spell it out in an email, contact me at Douglas@bocatribune.com