the kids call it crack, i call it...

i think it is quite amusing that some people are still mystified that some businesses thrive while others get the pink slip/chapter 11.. the businesses that thrive consistently are those that sell goods with inelastic demand. what that means is that the product will be consumed on a regular basis, whether the price is up or down. i thought i would do a redux of recession-proof businesses for the uncouth:

1. energy [natural gas, oil, electricity]: buildings need to be lit/heated/cooled, vehicles need to be gassed.
   
2. food: people eat it almost every day of the year.
3. alcohol: consumed during the best/worst of times/prohibition/morning/noon/evening by the rich/middleclass/homeless on a daily basis.
   
4. cigarettes: see number 3.
5. shelter: except for the homeless and people living in govt housing [ie: the president], people pay monthly rent or a mortgage.
6. healthcare/insurance: business model = customers pay monthly fee for coverage + insurance company deny claim x insurance company use funds to buy large houses and personal aircraft.
   
7. governement: pay your taxes, every year, or WE WILL FIND YOU wesley snipes.
8. illegal activity [racketeering, drug traffick, etc.]: these activities provide the best profit margins, by far, by keeping uncle sam out of the money laundry.

i did not list anything concerning the arts [music, print, motion picture] because it is simply not a good look trying to make it big with a career in the arts. ask tom ford. sure, he only destroyed the fashion game while at gucci and ysl and also on with his own line; but fashion is the day job that helps support his pursuit of his art, cinema. get oprah money, then one can do oprah things. wealth buys time. the learning channel has a show called 'the lottery changed my life' and u may be able to guess what it's about. there was a family who understands the reasoning behind this list; they bought new cars and remodeled their house but also purchased a parking lot on peachtree street. the money comes in each and every month.. allowing plenty of time to knit + sculpt +paint. holler at etsy.

"money is everything. and its every other thing." --drake.