So was 2008 weird or what? Hillary is named the new Secretary of State, the housing / stock market bubble bursts, my oldest son turns fourteen, apparently Britney is making a comeback and oh by the way we didn’t elect a Bush or a Clinton as President. Weird I tell you!

Even though our country is (according to the media anyway) on the brink of the economic abyss, things were pretty good for AVForSale. We processed over 11,000 auctions and 32,000 individual items. We obtained a 100% feedback score on our eBay sales and continued to add new supply customers. We did about 98% of what we did in 2008 and did it more efficiently, so it was pretty much a wash from year to year. 2008 was weird, but OK.

So what is ’09 going to bring? Right now it is hard to tell. These are the financial firestorms that will clear out the dead wood and leave the economic landscape stronger for those that survive. Harsh? Maybe, but also probably a little more than true. Companies in our industry that continue to practice the principals of sound decision making will survive the fire. Those that panic and run the wrong direction will find themselves surrounded by flames.

Ideally, we will spend 2009 helping folks make those good decisions and point them in the right direction. Here are a couple of no brainers to start off the New Year:
• Don’t spend good money storing equipment you don ‘t need or use
• Move from Analog to Digital as fast as you can
• If you are still holding onto 700 MHz mics, it is almost too late
• LED luminaires are pushing out incandescent faster than you think
• 16:9 doesn’t have to be Hi-Def, but it is definitely not 4:3
• If you don’t have a plan that has the word “Green” in it, you should get one

At the beginning of 2009, I choose to be optimistic. I think the fire will be under control sooner than later and that our industry will rise from the ashes full of new life. As weird as 2008 was, I think 2009 will be……..well probably just as weird, but in a good sort of way. Happy New Year!