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Support Black-Owned Businesses: 181 Places to Start Online (Compiled by Sophia Conti)

https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/support-black-owned-businesses/ 

Support Black-Owned Businesses: 181 Places to Start Online

Sophia Conti

Racial and wealth disparities in the United States have been thrown into sharp relief by the COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest throughout 2020. We see more clearly than ever just how often Black business owners and creatives have been thought of as less than their Caucasian counterparts – and Black businesses are paying the price.

Black businesses are impacted more deeply than Caucasian businesses by COVID-related closures, due to the long history of racial inequality that’s now exacerbated by the ongoing state of emergency.

It feels like an overwhelming problem – and it is – but there’s one simple thing you can do right now to help: Shop at Black-owned businesses whenever you can.

Supporting Black-owned businesses helps provide much-needed stability to business owners that have been hard hit by the pandemic. And you’re laying a foundation to continue to support Black businesses long after the crisis is over.

Once you start paying attention to who owns the businesses you shop at and where your money is going, you’ll be surprised at how your mindset starts to shift. It’s an easy, practical step to start changing the way you think while providing tangible support to Black business owners who need your help right now.

Where to start? We’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of 181 Black-owned businesses across the United States in many different categories. Check out the list below. To be added to the list, comment on the link below:

https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/support-black-owned-businesses/ 

 The views expressed in the media presented on this site are not necessarily the views and opinions of the Imani Foundation, our members, staff, or sponsors. Find us on FACEBOOK under the name "The Black Improvement Movement".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These posts provide information that may aid financial improvement. The information on this site is provided as opinion and should not be construed as professional legal advice, nor professional financial advice, nor professional tax advice. The end reader is advised to seek professional assistance to address one's particular situation. The posts on this site may be third party information and may not be copyrightwritten by the poster of the information.

#MelanatedWealth The Melanated Wealth Series (Advancing Black Business to Black Generational Wealth) #Money #BlackBusiness #BlackFinance #PhiBetaSigma

(#MelanatedWealth) ! Paid off $120,000 debt in 2 years CONSCIOUSLY - with @TheUrbanFinance #Trini Rev. Khaden Nurse (#TheUrbanFinance) joins Tiniki Riddick (myEcon) and @SekoVarner to talk about politics and money, investing in Marijuana, using a Su Su to go to college, combining conscious-building and wealth-building, Amos Wilson, Black Power, how he and his wifey-4-lifey paid off $120,000 OF DEBT IN 2 YEARS, and how theWE can do the same. 

 (#MelanatedWealth) Making Thousandaires into Millionaires - A. Donahue Baker on #GetOnCode #GetOnCode - In this episode of Get On Code (The Fly Guys Show) we build with A. Donahue Baker of www.MoneyAve.com and Tiniki Riddick of myEcon. #PhiBetaSigma Brother A. Donahue Baker is a CPA, former Grammy-nominated music producer, and current real estate developer with a personal portfolio that includes over 500 units of residential/commercial properties nationwide. A. Donahue Baker recently co-founded a $10 million angel syndicate/VC fund to help theWE to create wealth and have access to capital. Tiniki Riddick: https://www.triddick.myecon.net 

 (#MelanatedWealth) Will Mingo will make you rich! Owns checking cashers, now opening a Bank! #GetOnCode - In this episode of Get On Code (The Fly Guys Show) we build with Will Mingo of HTTP://www.MoneyAve.com and Tiniki Riddick of myEcon. #PhiBetaSigma Brother Will Mingo - MBA, SHRM-SCP. Will Mingo has been Director, Global Infrastructure Consulting Services for a Fortune 50 Information Technology firm. Will had P&L accountability for an IT consulting business supporting $2B+ in enterprise hardware & software sales. He led a large global organization of engineers, consultants, project managers & operations support personnel. Previous to joining his current firm, Mingo worked at Mellon Human Resources & Investor Solutions where he was Vice President of the Business Integration function. Prior to Mellon, Will spent over a decade at Prudential Financial where he was a Director and performed leadership roles across multiple functions including Information Technology, Human Resources, Sales Operations and Corporate Risk Management. Additionally, Will previously served on the faculty of the Boston University Corporate Education Center where he taught project management courses in the Master’s Degree and certification programs. In addition to his success as a leader in Fortune 100 corporations over the past 20+ years, Mr. Mingo is an accomplished entrepreneur. Will holds a New Jersey Banking license as well as a New Jersey Bail Bonds license. Will also has an extensive background in real estate development and financing. He and his wife own The World of Beer sports bar in New Brunswick, NJ. Will has received numerous awards and honors for his academic, professional, & civic accomplishments. His successes have been featured in the New York Daily News and the Newark City News. Will holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Clark Atlanta University and an MBA from New York Institute of Technology. Will resides in Monroe Township, NJ with his wife Desiree and their sons James & William. He recently co-founded a bank to help theWE to create wealth and have access to capital. Tiniki Riddick: https://www.triddick.myecon.net

#MelanatedWealth  The Melanated Wealth Series (Advancing Black Business to Black Generational Wealth) #Money #BlackBusiness #BlackFinance #PhiBetaSigma #OmegaPsiPhi

We got Books ! Positive Vibes Litterature 757-523-1399

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These posts provide information that may aid financial improvement. The information on this site is provided as opinion and should not be construed as professional legal advice, nor professional financial advice, nor professional tax advice. The end reader is advised to seek professional assistance to address one's particular situation. The posts on this site may be third party information and may not be copyrightwritten by the poster of the information.

Mind Your Black Business (WE NEED A MONARCH?) with #IrritatedGenie & #CrumbTV's Crumb Snatcher

Mind Your Black Business (WE NEED A MONARCH?) #IrritatedGenie & #CrumbTV's Crumb Snatcher

#GetOnCode - Seko and The Irritated Genie disagree over issues of sexuality and inter-racial relationships. They do agree over the need for an increase in OUR businesses (#EmpowermentAgenda). In this episode of #TheFlyGuysShow, on 4/5/2019 #SekoVarner and The Crumb Snatcher blushed over the beautiful (@EllaJoyce) actress Ella Joyce from the Roc T.v. show, and interviewed The Irritated Genie on the concept of using Black Business enterprises to address many of the challenges that people of African descent face. Irritated Genie thinks we need a Melanated Monarch.....#WTF?

In the episode Seko mention's (@SingletaryM) Michelle Singletary's book 'The Power To Prosper'. Michelle says "If debt were a person, I'd slap it!" Believer in the "debt dash" method. Washington Post Personal Finance Columnist. Author, "The 21 Day Financial Fast" Here are the details: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Prosper-... . In her softcover book The Power to Prosper, award-winning writer Michelle Singletary has a field-tested financial challenge for you. For twenty-one days, you will put away your credit cards and buy only what you need for survival. With Michelle's guidance during this three-week financial fast, you'll discover how to: * Break your spending habit * Handle money with your significant other or your spouse * Break your bondage to debt with the Debt Dash Plan * Make smart investments * Be prepared for any contingency with a Life Happens Fund * Stop worrying about money and find the priceless power of financial peace As you discover practical ways to achieve financial freedom, you'll experience something even more amazing ... your faith and generosity will increase, too. In the episode Seko mentions (@ricmathis) Ric Mathis' film 'Black Friday'. Here are the details: https://www.blackfridayfilmseries.com...

Filmmaker and producer Ric Mathis is helping to refocus the thoughts of how and where people spend their money. Black Friday 2 is sparking conversations in the Black community on race and economics. For this film, Mathis traveled to several countries to help African Americans understand the true meaning of economic security. He presents seven practical principles to help you reshape your mindset and to recharge your pockets. 

 The Irritated Genie is an International lecturer, author, Afrikan centered media production specialist, & internet radio station owner. www.waronthehorizon.com - Crumb TV is the home of occult knowledge where nothing is off limits. Crumb & the family demonstrate a wide range of wisdom & understanding from many schools of thought. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmZ... https://Facebook.com/CrumbTV https://Instagram.com/CrumbTV_ The use of the word ‘Black’ in reference to people is used a commonly accepted term to describe Melanated people of some level of African and/or Afro-Indigenous / Indigenous / Aborigine / American-Aborigine / Asiatic, Afro-Asian, Moorish, Neo-Nubian, etc. descent. (i.e. No, we do not think that we are adjectives. We are not literally talking about the color of one's skin, and we don't believe that we are from the planet, country, or city named "Black".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These posts provide information that may aid financial improvement. The information on this site is provided as opinion and should not be construed as professional legal advice, nor professional financial advice, nor professional tax advice. The end reader is advised to seek professional assistance to address one's particular situation. The posts on this site may be third party information and may not be copyrightwritten by the poster of the information.

G&G: VA Disability Claims Webinar (May, 20, 2020)

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G&G: What The Mainstream Media isn't Telling you about COVID-19

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G&G Associates 
Tax, Financial & Veteran Consulting Services

e-Newsletter

What The Mainstream Media isn't Telling you about COVID-19

Hotep (Peace) G&G Readers,

We are going through the greatest mass delusion in history. Never in my life have I ever been more ashamed of our "purported" elected officials. And never in my wildest dreams did I think our entire country would fall for such complete nonsense on such an enormous scale.

In today's newsletter, I'll show you why virtually everything we've done so far has made the impact of this virus worse than it would have been if we had done nothing at all. And I'll also show you how simple doing the right thing could have (and should have) been.

I can also predict what will (eventually) happen next – the only steps that can actually protect those most at risk from this virus.

But before I get to the facts that inform my view...

I would like to review how completely insane and idiotic our political leaders have become in the midst of this health problem. My favorite example so far? The thousands of outdoor recreational activities that have been closed or forbidden – including those that involve individual pursuits, like surfing and walking the beach.  And what did CBS News publish as a headline above the story documenting a surfer being chased down by patrol boats? It read: "Scientist Says Beaches Are Dangerous Right Now."

How does anyone read this stuff and not laugh out loud? It's impossible to watch the video of a surfer being chased down by patrol boats in the name of public health and not think something has gone terribly wrong in America.

But what's the root of the problem today? What's the foundation of all of these bad ideas?

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At the heart of every mass delusion, there's a 'big lie'...

The big lie is a falsehood so outrageous and so obviously wrong, in retrospect people can hardly believe that anyone took it seriously. The most famous example of the "big lie" is the Salem Witch Trials, where four bored teenage girls convinced their pastor they were possessed by the devil and that dozens of people in their community were agents of Satan. The pastor, in turn, convinced most of Massachusetts that the colony was inundated with witches.

Even though it's hard to imagine today, some 200 people were arrested over the next year. One poor man, Giles Corey, was crushed to death under a pile of giant rocks because he wouldn't confess to being a witch.  And what happened to those who did confess? They were forced to name more witches. Then they were hanged. Before anyone came to their senses, 30 people were put to death. Today ... we look back at these events and wonder how anyone could have taken seriously a bunch of teenagers prattling on about witches and devils.

And with COVID-19, Americans have become just as irrational as those Salem witch hunters.

What's the big lie today?

The big lie today is that "we" are all in "this" together.

It's utter nonsense... "We" – the people of the world, the people of the United States, of my state, of this city, and even the people in my neighborhood – do not share the same values, ideals, or circumstances. We do not have anything like the same immune systems or face the same risks of this virus.

While it might sound friendly to say "we're all in this together" – the reality is that we are not. And enforcing policies that treat all of us the same is the very worst approach we could take to dealing with this health crisis.  Some of us are at much greater risk of serious harm by this virus. Some of us are much more susceptible to infection. Some of us own businesses or work for companies that haven't been impacted at all. Others have seen their livelihoods, their careers, or even their life savings wiped out.

Rather than assessing our own risks and our own priorities and then making our own decisions, we have decided to allow the government – really just a handful of governors and an idiot president – to make one decision for all of us. And we're told not following the rules means we're putting other peoples' lives in jeopardy.  It's complete and utter nonsense. What's putting all of us in jeopardy is the idea that Washington D.C. knows best and we could follow directions – because "we're all in this together."

Adolf Hitler, in his book Mein Kampf, explained why such "big lies" are at the foundation of all tyranny. If you want to understand how despots operate, you should consider how one of the worst in history manipulated large groups of people.

In the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie.

And that brings me back to today

Should we all sit in our home prisons, with our freedom to work, to associate, and to speak taken away from us – all to universally support "flattening" a curve, because "we" are all in "this" together?

Or is this the public health service's Vietnam?

I have a prediction for you... By the time this virus is thoroughly understood, what will become extremely clear is that these shutdown orders did virtually nothing to stop the spread of the disease or to reduce its lethality in the population. Why do I believe that? Because it's apparent already that at least 5 times more people have been infected than are reflected in the number of "confirmed cases"... and the real number may be much, much greater than that.

In a town in Germany, one of the only places where a reliable statistical sampling has been done, 14% of the population has antibodies for the virus, which means they have already been infected. Germany has a population of 83 million... so that's more than 10 million people who have potentially already had this virus. And that's only in one country.

Germany has also tested twice as many people per capita as we have, so they know far more about the actual spread of the virus and its real lethality.

So... how dangerous is this virus?

The official confirmed infected count in Germany is only 135,000. And almost 4,000 Germans have died because of this virus. That's a 3% "case rate" mortality – that is, out of the population that has been proven to be infected, about 3% have died. That sounds really bad and scary. After all, the average annual flu has a mortality rate of between 0.1% and 0.2%, depending on the year. So, for example, in 2015 to 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 30 million people got the flu and around 60,000 people died, or 0.2%.

But, wait... we know for sure that far more people have gotten this coronavirus than have been tested for it. As I just noted, the statistical sampling of antibodies in Germany suggests a much, much lower lethality rate. The real mortality rate is probably somewhere closer to the regular flu.

So what do you want to bet that we eventually figure out that the population-wide mortality rate for this virus is about the same as all of the other coronaviruses? But what if I'm wrong? I might be. Nobody knows how widespread the virus is already in the U.S. But since we don't know for sure, why in the world are we ordering everyone to stay in their homes? Why don't we find out and then decide?

Knowing the real lethality of the virus (which can only be calculated if you know how many people are infected) informs us how dangerous the virus is for most people. We already know that this virus isn't a significant killer for people under the age of 50. Virtually no one without serious existing conditions has died from this virus under the age of 50.  And we also know from places that have actual data that this coronavirus is no more dangerous than the other viruses that we know circulate around our country on a regular basis every year. Knowing how many people are infected is also critical to figuring out which policies are needed to mitigate the impact of the disease on the hospital system.

After all, if tens of millions of people already have the virus, you're not going to stop it by making people stay in their homes. It's already too late. I strongly suspect that was the case here. I suspect we will eventually learn that this virus had been circulating undetected in the U.S. since at least October..hmm the beginning of the flu season which is around the Fall Equinox.  Not going to start talking about the spiritual, physical and mental aspects of what that time of the year means ...I'll leave that for a future discussion.

What is certainly different about this virus, as compared with the regular flu, is that when it emerged, there was zero existing immunity to it... which meant it spread like wildfire. But the good news is that super-contagious viruses also burn out quicker because herd immunity impacts the growth rate.  So... should we have shut down our entire economy for a month in March, long after the virus had spread to millions? No! What we're doing will not reduce the total infection rate or the mortality rates of this virus.

It's far too late for the strategy we're using...

How do I know? The best evidence of how widespread the virus has become comes from studies of fecal matter in wastewater treatment plants.  A group of researchers from Harvard, MIT, the Brigham and Women's Hospital, and medtech startup company Biobot Analytics has published research submitting that viral loads in the wastewater from an area in Boston suggests at least 2,300 people in the water treatment area are infected with COVID-19, roughly five times more than the official 446 confirmed cases. No one wants to go to a hospital or a doctor's office right now unless they absolutely have to, so it makes sense that the vast majority of these infections go unreported.

And that's not all we know about how fast this virus spreads...Although nobody in Washington, D.C. wants to mention it, one group of people was thoroughly tested. This group offers a striking example of what happens when you lock people into their homes after this virus has been circulating amongst them.

We know exactly how many people on the Diamond Princess cruise ship were infected. We know when the virus appeared on the boat. And we know exactly how many people died. There is no dispute about these facts, whatsoever.

There were 3,711 people on the boat (passengers and crew). We know that 712 people were infected, despite restricting everyone to their cabins as soon as the infection was discovered. That's an infection rate of almost 20% in a matter of days. This is a very, very contagious virus. Keep in mind, the lockdown on the boat began on February 5, which was only four days after the first case was discovered in Hong Kong. This virus spreads like wildfire.

On the other hand, even in a population that is much, much older than average and that featured substantial population-wide comorbidities like high blood pressure and obesity, only 12 people died. That's 1.7% of the people who got infected. Yes, that's much worse than the average flu – but not if you adjust for the age and relative health of the population.

Researchers who have studied the cruise ship outbreak in detail estimate that this virus will have 0.5% lethality in the general U.S. population – which is, again, comparable to the regular annual flu.

We have already seen that the initial forecasts of more than 2 million deaths is complete nonsense. When the president ordered the economy to shut down, he claimed that if we didn't take this step of cowering in our homes, then millions would die. "People will be dropping dead on the subway,"

Trump claimed, as though Ebola was on the loose. All bullshit. This virus is definitely dangerous to the old and the sick. To everyone else, it's going to be a nonevent... just like any other flu season.

Here's a prediction...

In a "bad year" for the flu, between 50,000 and 100,000 Americans die from the virus. I'm willing to bet that by the end of this year, roughly the same number of people will have died from this virus.

And I'm also willing to bet that there's zero difference in either the total per capita number who become infected and the mortality rate between our country (which ordered a shutdown) and Sweden's, which has refused to order anyone to shut down their business or stay in their homes.

If you accept that the virus had been circulating in our population for months by the time the lockdown orders arrived (which is certainly the case) and if you know it's highly contagious, then ordering everyone into their homes in mid-March was closing the barn door when the horses were already long gone.

What does work to control the spread of a novel virus? Herd immunity. Humans have immune systems. They work great, especially in younger people. We can handle viruses. What we should do is tell older and sicker people to put on a mask. Wear rubber gloves. Avoid crowds at all costs. Avoid hospitals. Stay home whenever you can.

We should have told everyone else: Go about your lives. Yes, we should also add that some of you – probably about 20% – are going to get this novel coronavirus this year. (Normally about 9% of the population gets the flu every year... so your chances of catching COVID-19 this year are about double what you'd normally face with the regular flu.)

And if you get it, it's probably going to suck. But the younger you are and the healthier you are, the more likely it is that you won't have any symptoms at all. So, let's not cancel school. Let's let the kids go and get exposed to this virus when they are young, when they can handle it, and when they can quickly develop immunity.  That's the best way to build the herd immunity we need – allow everyone who can manage the virus to get exposed. As quickly as possible. After all, the sooner the herd immunity we need develops naturally, the safer we will all be.

If the media hadn't gotten hold of this story and if our political leaders hadn't panicked...

This year would have just been a really bad flu season – nothing more. And whether you agree with me or not, one thing is certain... Hiding in our homes will not make us any safer – not for long. As soon as we leave our isolation, the virus will spread again. There's no way to stop a virus that's this contagious and this widespread in a population this large.

It will take at least a year to build a vaccine. And until then, what we desperately need is for people who aren't at risk of dying to expose themselves and build immunity. And guess what... That's exactly what's going to happen – eventually. The only question is when. It can happen six months' from now if we want to cripple our economy and lose $10 trillion to $20 trillion (plus all of our liberties). Or it can happen in about six weeks if we all just go back to work and deal with it like adults.

So what should we do?

If you're over 60 or if you're in poor health, by all means, do everything you can to avoid catching the flu this year. The hospital isn't going to be able to help you. You have to make sure you don't get sick!

But if you're in good health, and especially if you're under 50, simply ignore everything and live a normal life. It's no big deal.

Interestingly, if we had respected people's civil liberties, that's almost certainly what would have happened. A lot of people would have gotten sick at first because nobody knew a new virus was circulating. But as soon as people saw what was happening, the old and the sick would have taken much greater precautions. The rest of us would have gotten exposed – probably about 20% of the population in 60 to 90 days. And then it would have burned out as immunity in the population grew – just like the regular flu.

Meanwhile, there are tens of millions more people who have far more to fear from the economic consequences of these policies than they have of the virus.   And guess what?

There's no way to develop immunity from the State...

This situation sets a precedent that will surely be exploited for years to come. The government's getting used to ordering us all around. It isn't going to stop. Meanwhile, God gave us the ability to reason – to judge for ourselves what risks to take and which to avoid. God also gave all of us the liberty to live our lives as we see fit. Our leaders don't have the right to make these choices for us.

When we let them, we doom ourselves to the worst possible outcomes.  Our "purported" leaders' ability or willingness to make good decisions is questionable or almost non-existent. They don't even know how many people have the virus already and they never bothered to find out!

They've completely ignored the Diamond Princess cruise ship case study, the German data, and the wastewater studies. They're doing the only thing they can with their very limited understanding of this virus: Ordering everyone to stay home. Meanwhile, plenty of hard evidence shows why this strategy won't work and isn't necessary. But beyond all of the facts and the medicine...

By all means, if you want to wear a mask, be my guest. And if you are older or if you have health problems, please, take sensible precautions. But those decisions are rightfully "YOURS" and not the Governments to make.

"Remember ... Liars can figure, but figures don't lie.  The key is can you figure it out if they are lieing or not" – A. Curry

Here’s to Good Health, Wealth and Retirement!

Ankh Uja Snb (Life, Health & Strength)
Asar Maa Ra Gray
Tax & Financial Consultant
G&G Associates
757-271-6068 office
866-361-3872 toll free fax
www.gngassociates.net

Become a Fan of G&G Associates on Facebook, Instagram and LinkeIn.

“Philosophers aren’t psychics … they are good historians. Knowing your history will allow you to interpret and understand the present … Knowing how to interpret the present, will allow you to predict the future.” Dr. Kaba Kamene

LEGAL NOTICE: This work is based on what I’ve learned as a financial researcher and analyst based SEC filings, current events, interviews, investment reports, corporate press releases and what I've learned as a financial consultant. It may contain errors and you should not base investment decisions solely on what you read here. It’s your money and your responsibility. Nothing herein should be considered personalized investment advice.

G&G: Why the V-Shaped Recovery Will Not Happen

This is

G&G Associates 
Tax, Financial & Veteran Consulting Services

e-Newsletter

Why the V-Shaped Recovery Will Not Happen

Hotep (Peace) G&G Readers,

The big story over the last few days has been ‘reopening the economy’.  And that’s certainly a nice idea. Countless people have been living in despair over the last month, and the prospect of everything going back to normal soon feels really great.

I certainly hope for the best. 

Years ago when I was in the military, I read a book by James Stockdale -- one of the toughest men who ever lived-- talking abut how he cultivated the mental strength to survive 7 torturous years as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam.  And I thought it would be relevant to re-post his advice here.

When asked, “Who didn’t make it [out of the POW camp],” Stockdale replied,  Oh that’s easy. The optimists. They were the ones who said, ‘we’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And then Christmas would come, and Christmas would go.  And then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And then Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving. And then it would be Christmas again.

And they died of a broken heart.

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“This is a very important lesson,” Stockdale continued. “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose– with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

There’s clearly been a lot of positive data lately showing that the growth rate of the virus seems to be slowing, and that the mortality rate is lower than originally estimated.  This is all good news.  But we’re seeing a lot of ‘Stockdale optimists’ right now who only look at the good news and refuse to confront brutal facts.

Many of the world’s most prominent financial markets have been bitten by Stockdale Optimism; stocks, for example, are way up because investors believe everything is about to return to normal and the economy will experience a ‘V-shaped recovery’. 

(This means that the economy will bounce back as quickly and aggressively as it stalled.)

But anyone with the discipline and emotional courage to confront the most brutal facts of our current reality realizes that ‘normal’ is still far away.

Here are a few things to consider:

1) Hardcore Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

We’re now living in a world where hugging is considered an act of biological terrorism. It would be silly to think that everyone will come out of hiding and go back to normal… packing bars, airplanes, shopping malls, elevators, offices, etc. like we used to do.

There’s going to be some serious, worldwide Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Millions of people will permanently change their behavior, reduce consumption, stay home, and avoid contact with others. And this is clearly going to have a lingering economic impact.

2) RIP Small Business

Countless small businesses ‘temporarily’ closed last month. Many of them will never reopen. Others have had to make deep cuts and lay off a number of employees in order to survive.  But even when economic conditions finally start to normalize, many small business owners will realize, “Gee I didn’t actually need some of those workers."

They’ll do the math and determine that the business can be more profitable and efficient without all the employees. And some of those temporary job cuts will become permanent.

3) Big business downsizing

Ditto for big businesses. A typical medium-sized or large company can lay off at least 10% of its workforce with minimal impact to operations. Nearly everyone has fat to trim.   And so a lot of big companies who have laid off their workers will not hire everyone back.

Moreover, big companies now have an opportunity to shrink their overhead further by reducing their office footprints.  Executives now realize that many employees can work from home. And frankly, many employees prefer it.   This will likely reduce demand for office space, causing a steady increase in commercial property vacancy rates. 

Even Disney’s Chairman Bob Iger recently said his company will reopen “with less office space.”

4) Retail was dying before this started. . .

Let’s be honest-- retail stores were already dying before this pandemic; the entire industry is being swallowed up by Amazon.  A number of major retail chains (Sears, Macy’s, Pier 1 Imports, etc.) filed for bankruptcy well before the pandemic started. Plenty of others were on the ropes.

And now with so many places on lockdown, many of them simply will not survive.  Between the continued rise of e-commerce, the lockdown consequences, and the lingering PTSD that could keep millions of people from visiting stores, physical retail is in pretty serious trouble.

Retail makes up roughly 10% of the work force in the US alone (according to estimates from the Aspen Institute), so it’s not hard to imagine a few million job losses just from this one sector… not to mention the impact to the real estate market of so many shops and malls going under.

5) Additional outbreaks

While the social distancing and lockdown measures have reduced the rate of contagion, it’s important to remember that some places (like Hong Kong and Singapore) already experienced a second wave of outbreaks after they loosened their restrictions.

Yet the ‘V-shaped recovery’ fantasy completely ignores this very real possibility… and the huge economic consequences it would have.  In fact, any of the five points I mentioned above could have a nasty impact-- to the unemployment rate, financial markets, GDP, real estate prices, corporate earnings, government deficits, etc.   But they’re all being ignored.

The prevailing narrative right now is that we’re out of the woods and the economy is about to come roaring back.  And that would certainly be nice.  Staying positive is great. Like Stockdale said, we know that we will prevail in the end.

But it’s important to be realistic-- to confront the most brutal facts of our reality. And our reality is that the consequences of this pandemic could last much longer than many people are choosing to believe.

Here’s to Good Health, Wealth and Retirement!

Ankh Uja Snb (Life, Health & Strength)
Asar Maa Ra Gray
Tax & Financial Consultant
G&G Associates
757-271-6068 office
866-361-3872 toll free fax
www.gngassociates.net

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“Philosophers aren’t psychics … they are good historians. Knowing your history will allow you to interpret and understand the present … Knowing how to interpret the present, will allow you to predict the future.” Dr. Kaba Kamene

LEGAL NOTICE: This work is based on what I’ve learned as a financial researcher and analyst based SEC filings, current events, interviews, investment reports, corporate press releases and what I've learned as a financial consultant. It may contain errors and you should not base investment decisions solely on what you read here. It’s your money and your responsibility. Nothing herein should be considered personalized investment advice.