What Professions / Businesses / Investments Thrive in a Failing Economy?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Hopefully, some brilliant ATS minds have some good answers to this query.

A little background on me. I own a business that thrives off of a bustling economy - tourism. I’ve seen a substantial slowing of business going back to the beginning of spring, which is technically our busy season. We typically slow down in the summer months, with the exception of 2020 and 2021, due to my state reopening and so many neighboring states staying on lockdown for eons. Well, summer was slow again this year and the fall (busy season) isn’t looking like it’s going to be any where as busy as years past.

When the lockdowns happened 2.5 years ago, I went into reverse income status. Having to refund deposits I had taken on tours. Needless to say, I don’t ever want to deal with that ever again. Furthermore, the idea of having this business fade into the ethers without any return on all the hard work I’ve put in to build this thing up. If the economy fully tanks before I can sell it as a whole, it would be an absolute tragedy. I’d be left liquidating assets at a fraction of what their worth — who buys party buses when the economy sucks?!

So I’m left with the idea to sell off my business and re-invest that money in to a business that actually produces in bad times. I’ve been racking my brain about this every day for the last 6 months or so. Unfortunately, I’m drawing blanks.

I’m thinking this thread could help other people and not just me, as we are a pretty diversified group regarding locations.

So what say you ATS? What would be a good company to start with the impending doom on the horizon? This could also be diversified in to where to invest money with the economic downturn.

a reply to: KKLOCO

Food, ammo, energy, water and...toilet paper.

Funny thing is, I think you'll find gov't have a monopoly on everything that benefits during lead/bad times.

a reply to: JinMI

I’ve thought about food. But with all the food processing plants burning down as of late, doesn’t seem like a smart move.

I fear I don’t have enough capital to do the other items you mentioned. You got to do large scale on those to work.

My biz is worth 3-5 million and the government takes 35% whatever I can get for it.

originally posted by: KKLOCO

My biz is worth 3-5 million and the government takes 35% whatever I can get for it.

Cash out and retire to Costa Rica. Maybe start a small business there.

a reply to: KKLOCO

Sell busses that are Mad Max'ed out?

a reply to: The GUT

Cash out and retire to Costa Rica. Maybe start a small business there.

Funny you say this, because it’s what I dream of doing. Just haven’t nailed it to Costa Rica.

I really don’t want to be a part of western society (the rat race) anymore.

I’m also trying to be realistic. How far can that kind of money get me if whatever biz I start in the tropics doesn’t work.

BANKS. In desperate times people borrow money, before long an awful lot of people owe you money therefore you can make their debt never ending and they end up paying you millions for the thousand they borrowed.

a reply to: KKLOCO

I don't know much about the tourist industry, so I might not have much useful advice.

Aren't "party buses" just "pimped-out" buses?

Remove some of the "pimp" and remarked as executive coaches, or mobile conference sites?

Maybe even sell as "upscale van life platforms"; more room and luxury than a panel van conversion, but smaller and more sustainable than a full-blown RV?

You have connections with various industry vendors, maybe build on that as a more of a market representative?

Fewer people can afford to travel, so why not bring the travel experience to the people?

How many New Yorkers have never been to Ellis Island. History bores school kids out of their minds, but what about Tik Toks from exotic locations, and historic times, that make history lessons interesting?

A modernization of the old "Schoolhouse Rock" concept?

a reply to: KKLOCO

If you're in a state where heating is paramount during the winter, stake or your own firewood industry would prove useful although I'm not sure what kind of ROI you'll get this late in the season.

a reply to: KKLOCO

Funeral Homes would be my best guess. We've seen articles about increased mortality due to SADS and as the economy collapses you will surely see an increase in suicides and drug overdoses.

I have no clue what would work out in this time. The thing is that even a food store is not safe anymore, way more people go on stealing sprees these days. No business is safe to own anymore. If it gets worse, even farms will be ravished and they will ruin the harvest while they do it by damaging the plants before everything is fully grown. One large carrot has as much carrot in it as twenty baby carrots and it only takes three more weeks to finish the cycle.

The workers are getting more and more spoiled, a person hired to run a checkout will defy going into the bathroom if there is an accident in there to clean, even the baggers won't go. I still know quite a few business owners and they are all frustrated with their workers attitudes....they are too entitles. I could start up my construction company again I suppose since I finally figured a pretty decent way of controlling my epilepsy. I could still get work but I do not want to deal with the attitude of the workers these days, most want a job but do not want to work and produce anything. Or they are more careless and they damage things when working thinking it is acceptable to break things and destroy tools. So no...I am not going to start up again even though I have way better control over my epilepsy in the last year. I am almost sixty seven and have lost patients with the new working class. If I owned a store or maybe a business where a worker is not so hard to train to do so many different things, maybe I would attempt it.

My daughters wanted me to start a breakfast, bakery,soup and pasty restaurant. They haven't a clue how work intensive it is to make the foods I make. To create soups that have great taste and are very rich in medicinal qualities takes a lot of work.

They just want me to do this so they can pick up leftovers at the end of the day so they don't have to cook. I wasn't born yesterday.

If this was a standard recession I could figure out things, but there is so much different crap coming at us from different sources, I can't even guess what would be a good investment. Most of my friends with businesses are just getting back on track and starting to make a profit now, and some of them sold their businesses this summer, they do not trust this economy anymore.

a reply to: KKLOCO

During bad times VICE industries always do well.

Sex, alcohol, drugs, weapons, etc.

Can you incorporate any of those (legally) into your place?

a reply to: KKLOCO

A GUN STORE. I was in one the other day, and they had a "take a number" thing going on. Every time a democrat queefs, folks want to buy more guns and ammo. But if the economy started booming again, perhaps after 2024, you might not be as happy with that choice. Listen to your Gut. (our Gut). He's on to something. Do a little research into how little you would have to make to live in some great places.

We have some members here who live in remote, beachy places. Perhaps one of them will happen by and offer some wisdom.

a reply to: rickymouse

My daughters wanted me to start a breakfast, bakery,soup and pasty restaurant. They haven't a clue how work intensive it is to make the foods I make. To create soups that have great taste and are very rich in medicinal qualities takes a lot of work.

All my family wanted me to be a cook/chef/own a restaurant/cafe. I barely want to cook for my family, there is no way I would do it for strangers. You are right, the work is a lot and we are both probably the types that would rather not do it than do a poor job.

Also, to your comment about the bathroom with accidents. There is no way on earth I would clean that. The problem they hire people to be cashiers/cooks etc and then ask them to clean stuff like that. I didn’t accept a job as a janitor or biohazard cleanup.
When I was young I worked in a restaurant and someone did a hate crime and spread feces all over the bathroom. They told me to clean it, I said heck no, fire me if you have to I’m not doing it. The dishwasher ended up doing it. That wasn’t right. They should have sent in a biohazard team. I wasn’t fired but I did quit shortly after.

a reply to: rickymouse

Your post is exactly why my youngest employee is 46 years old. None of my employees have an attitude of entitlement. It’s mostly the younger generations.

Panhandlers, catalytic converter and copper thieves sure seem to be thriving under the liberal economy.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: KKLOCO

During bad times VICE industries always do well.

Sex, alcohol, drugs, weapons, etc.

Can you incorporate any of those (legally) into your place?

Good advice. I’ve thought about this (well, never thought about being a pimp). Just have no clue how to get in to any of them.

It’s crazy when you think about this because it doesn’t seem there are many avenues that hold any weight with the times that lay ahead. That’s why I presented it here. Needed to get out of my own head and get some input.

a reply to: network dude

A GUN STORE.

This would have been an excellent idea a few years ago. I think that ship has sailed due to the stooges in power. Plus there is the fact that I own guns but know very little about them.

a reply to: KKLOCO

www.americasquarterly.org...

Five Ways Venezuelan Businesses Are Coping with Crisis

Notice that one of the businesses that was thriving was nightlife related businesses.
Think of the 1930’s too. People used to go to speakeasies.

People need affordable ways to escape reality.

Selling drugs.....always works in a crumbling society.

a reply to: KKLOCO