What's Ahead?

For months now, business news has been depressing. More economists are seeing a greater risk of recession.

Kind of makes one want the year to end, but then what's ahead in 2008? Neither we nor anyone else has the answers. And we're not economists, who like to hedge their prognostications with maybe this or maybe that depending on this or depending on that.

It was Winston Churchill who said, "The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

We think that along with all the dismal news of 2007, there also was some good news.

Next week, in Arkansas Business' annual year-end issue, we'll tell you what we think were the top business stories of the year. Looking back is necessary groundwork for looking forward.

A list of problems the U.S. economy is facing, however, could fill this page. High gas prices, housing crisis, credit woes, the falling dollar, health care costs, ad infinitum. Somehow we manage to survive and go on living.

The high gas prices though, could lead to new opportunities in alternative fuels. And Arkansas could be a leader in the field. The housing crisis could bring prices back down in many areas so that more people could buy homes. The credit woes have forced major lenders to take another look at some of their questionable loans. The falling dollar can help the American farmer and others who export their goods. And DefenseNews.com last week was reporting that Dassault Aviation and EADS officials are under pressure to build more of their aircraft in countries outside the Euro zone to offset the weakness of the dollar - a possible boost to Little Rock, where Dassault already finishes all its business jets. Health care costs? OK, the only opportunity we see here is to invest in health care companies.

No doubt there are people out there who have possible solutions to our problems and knowing that, we can look ahead to 2008 with all the anticipation and hope a new year - a new beginning - brings.

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source: banks.com