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and steady. True recession proofing means separating our fate, to whatever
degree possible, from the global economy. Then we will be free to invest
safely in ourselves.
Identifying the Market
The core of almost any business plan is its marketing plan. I (RB) have seen
many business plans and have accompanied hopeful businesspeople as they
engaged in conversations with bankers from whom financing was being
requested. The response always comes down to this: “You've got a product
here. How are you going to sell it? What's your marketing plan?” All the
technical expertise and business acumen in the world are useless if you can-
not sell the product.
This one is straightforward: You are the market. You and your friends and
neighbors are already spending your income on food, energy, shoes, cloth-
ing, furniture, and a variety of other things. And all you are proposing to
do is replace the alienating, disparity producing, environmentally destruc-
tive production mechanism for one that produces the products in a way
that is community building, just, and stable. Simply the act of talking about
it, imagining it, and setting it up creates the market. And once the market
is there, it will never leave. It will only expand through the best and cheap-
est advertising method—word of mouth. And that is what I (RB) would tell
the banker.
Finalizing the Vision
As a final note of encouragement, you are not alone. Models are out there in
finance, economic initiatives, community organization, and a host of perti-
nent and related topics. The economic need is certainly everywhere. And
fortunately, the core of commitment necessary to do something about it in
an effective manner is present in virtually every town and city in the nation.
We just have to free it, nurture it, and learn from one another. Mistakes will
be made, and successes will be enjoyed. Communication, especially through
the Internet, is quick and easy, which over time could allow us to avoid mis-
takes and quickly copy success. The first pickle out of the jar is the hardest
to get.
In summary, there is the vision: Produce for yourself, using your own
community resources. You are the investors, the workforce, and the market.
The results will be a just and supportive community full of healthy relation-
ships with people who are appreciative of the system in which they thrive.
And it must all be supported by an economy that nurtures the necessities of
life more than greed.
Although some suggestions for proceeding from this point may undoubt-
edly be gleaned from what we have already said, we conclude this work with
our best counsel for taking the next steps in a personal journey toward the
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