Greek Economy: THE WORST IS YET TO COME ..

This year the country remains in recession sixth year in a row, and ahead of it's citizens stand major new challenges. The trend of closing businesses, strikes, reduced pays and pensions continues in this year as well, and the Greek institutions warn of worsening situation because of rising unemployment and poverty. Greeks are convinced that evil is yet to come.

Sometime before midnight, Thessaloniki Square "Aristotelus". Dozen immigrants, with music from a cell phone, with visible mood jump around the empty stage, on which for the New Year's Eve in the past performances had known Greek singers like Sakis or Despina Wanda ...
Frightened by the frequent attacks of the "Golden Dawn" in Athens, many African immigrants arrived in Thessaloniki, although there is a lot lower earning. They cell ​​CD's or hand-knitted gloves, which no one wants to buy.

"The glamour of the New Year's celebration has been long gone. Now days mostly immigrants  come to the Square. Compared to the countries from which they come from, Greece is still ideal for them, although the Greeks are desperate and without money because of the crisis. The hardest thing is first to have, and than not to have, and they say worst is yet to come" - commented some of the Thessalonians that we met in the square.

The entrance in the new year was symbolically marked with modest firework, which looked more like marking a small wedding. It is cut  on everything.

New 2013 for the majority of Greeks only brings old problems, uncertainty and even more savings and reduced incomes and pensions. Strikes remain commonplace. Communal workers, who didn't collect garbage for days  in Thessaloniki, continued with the strike in the new year, and were joined by the rail workers in the first day of 2013.

Luckiest will be satisfied to preserve their work with reduced salary, no bonuses and additional  working hours for two years until retirement. In the first half of last year, 150.000 Greeks lost  their jobs, information released recently by the European Commission (EC). The country currently faces high unemployment, which reached 26% and is among the highest in the European Union (EU). Estimates are that by the end of this year it can reach up to 30%. Before the crisis it was 7.6%.

An hour after midnight, streets of Thessaloniki were already overflowing with people. Smiling and drunk, they all rushed to their favorite bars and clubs, such is the order, bohemian, in Greek, to celebrate the new year, despite all the negative forecasts for 2013, that Greek newspapers were full of these days.

SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN RECESSION

This year the recession in Greece will be worse than what was previously expected, much worse than it was stated in the budget. Greece, which is pressed by debts, will notice higher budget deficit than predicted two months ago. It is expected that the economic activities of the state in 2013 will be reduced by 4.5%, although they were previously projected with a fall of 3.8%.

On the other hand, the Greek government intends to save 9.4 billion euros in 2013, which is significantly more than the 7.8 billion planned by the previous projection. This measure will be implemented through further reductions in state salaries, pensions and benefits.

The country that is in her sixth consecutive year in recession is expected to achieve positive growth even next year. EU in her autumn forecast predicted that Athens in 2014 will have economic growth of 0.6%, and the Greek economy will then sink in about one fifth of the level before the outbreak of the crisis ...

Read more »

Posted in: Business,Economy,World News

Few rules for attracting business attention

As entrepreneurs or small business owners, you may have already found yourself in a position where perhaps the most important activity in your job is to attract attention of potential buyers.

However, it requires more effort than you think, no matter how easy that looks.

You have a business, you have a product or service, now you need someone to listen, to see, to feel that you are here ready to solve the terrible, unbearable, troublesome and boring problem for potential buyers.

The first step is to attract attention. Although attracting attention will not guarantee success for your business, you can read more in the attention, reputation and trust, and in the end, is the first step that must be taken.

Attention aims to attract potential buyers to your business. It can be achieved with free style viral marketing campaigns or recommendation from mouth to mouth, or to pay for it through the use of various marketing tools. However, to achieve success you will need to implement some rules:

1. Plan attracting attention. Although sometimes things can't be planned to every detail, you'll have much more systematic approach if you plan various ways and opportunities to attract attention.
2. Use different channels to attract attention. Various businesses operate different channels. It is good to try and test different channels to attract attention.
3. Give attention to receive attention. Rule of reciprocity. The more you give - the more you get.
4. Take risk and inform even for the secrets. Competition will read me, copy me, they'll take  over my ... All these statements are possible, however, you have to take the risk, because you can not prospect without buyers real attention.
5. Be unique, do not copy. You can study and analyze competitors, but do not copy them. You want to be unique. Uniqueness is best sponsor to attract quality attention.
6. Be realistic. No matter what you think, it's important what your current buyers think. They will attract more attention when describing your product or service, rather than when you present.
7. Stop talking and start listening. Listening will tell you what the other side wants to achieve and if you know it and really shoot them in their true "love", you'll grab their attention.

Read more »

Posted in: Business