First we have learned about the risk of being overly bullish in an up economy. Many people thought they could not lose. Everything was going up at a feverish pace and every bet seemed to work out well. Life was easy – too easy – and we should have known better. But these are the obvious lessons, the lessons we read about in the newspaper every day. What else can we learn?

The other lesson revolves around the fact that Bank of America bought Countrywide and Merrill Lynch on the cheap. JP Morgan picked up Bear Stearns for a song. And a number of other companies are hunting for deals.

In today’s market there is uncertainty and reduced consumer spending, but there is also unprecedented opportunity. The collapse of the housing market means that rents are low, employees plentiful and wages competitive. The cost of money is low also. My HELOC is 4.25%. That means I can borrow $100,000 for $375/mo. Cheap money, lots of low cost, high quality labor and low rent - all can be good news for a sharp, attentive business person.

As my father loves to say – “Things are never as good as they look – nor are they as bad." Half full or half empty? It’s your choice of perspectives. Just keep in mind that amid all the chaos, there is likely to be opportunity.

This article was written by Rick Bisio, author of the book, The Educated Franchisee. Rick is dedicated to franchising through the sharing of knowledge. His objective is to create educated franchise buyers that have clearly defined objectives and are able to recognize the right, or wrong, franchise when they see it. Ideally an educated franchisee will move into the franchisee role with their expectations properly set and, as a result, will have a heightened potential for success within the franchise system creating a win/win for all involved.

To learn more about how to identify great franchise businesses and stack the deck in your favor, visit Rick Bisio’s website at www.educatedfranchisee.com or purchase his book – The Educated Franchisee. Contact Rick directly at rbisio@educatedfranchisee.com or call 941 778 4660.