If businesses look at forecasts of a slower economy and put on the brakes of spending and hiring, it slows the whole flow. I don't want to be one of those doomsayers, who by predicting a slowdown helps cause one. My goal is to help you succeed. Having run a business through an economic downturn before, I know there are steps to help assure you survive and even grow stronger. One of the interesting, counter-intuitive, facts is that the number of new businesses actually increases in a slow economy.
Companies get stupid in a weak economy.
They make decisions to save money that don't necessarily make the best business sense, such as eliminating lines of business, reducing customer service and product quality, or cutting back on marketing. This creates opportunities for you to exploit their weaknesses. Don't be discouraged from starting a company. One of the first victims of a weak economy is easy credit. Banks get timid and credit card companies toughen standards.