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In September 2005, the world was mesmerized by the greatest natural disaster in the history of the U.S. Most of us were glued to our favorite cable channel or Web site, watching hurricane Katrina pound the Gulf Coast without mercy.

The word disaster conjures up many images.

Many construction-related business owners and managers are aggressively managing their operations. They are cutting expenses, finding new efficiencies and improving their marketing effectiveness.

Despite the construction downturn, now might be the best time to join a professional association or organization. Doing so might provide you with marketing advantages that your competitors won’t have.

Now is the perfect time to rebalance your marketing efforts.

Many of your competitors will survive this recession, but only a handful will grow stronger. How in the world are they doing it?

Walking through downtown Nashville last week, I heard a country singer lamenting that he lost his girlfriend, his pickup truck and his construction business. OK, that last one was actually his hound dog, but it won’t be long before we hear songs about the heartbreak of losing construction work.

I recently received a link to a YouTube video called “Did You Know?” It is fascinating look at the pace of change, including business and employment trends.

I’m amazed at how fast the decline of the U.S. economy has impacted our lifestyles. We are buying far fewer goods and services that we now consider luxuries, and we are slowing the pace of our lives in the process.

I live and work in the rather sickly Detroit metropolitan market. Every time I drive by a flooring store, granite shop, plumbing showroom or contractor’s truck, I wonder how they are doing. What steps have they taken to cut costs? How long can they keep going if conditions don’t improve?