Hello, 2009. It's a pleasure to meet you.

2008 was a pretty good year for 989 Design, but I have to tell you that I am really looking forward to 2009. As much as I hate lame, weather-worn clichés, I am really excited to see the seeds we planed last year begin to grow.

Every day when you listen to the news or read the paper, you are hearing so much bad news about the economy that it seems like we shouldn't even bother holding onto hope. There are so many people telling me that the sky is falling that I'm afraid to look up.

They're right about the economy, it's a mess. And it is probably going to get worse before it gets better. But there are still plenty of bright spots to look at, so let's not give up hope. Just today I had a new client come in the office talking about a new project that they are starting up and I am really psyched about working with them. I can't divulge much due to confidentiality issues, but it is a great lemons-to-lemonade story. The owner of the company ran into a huge (and costly) hurdle and rather than just scrap the project or pay the freight, he came up with a plan that ended up creating an entirely new business. And this is a business with legs—he could make a fortune, if he's not careful.

I guess that what I am saying is that even though times are bad, keep your chin up. The new year is not just the turn of a calendar page, but it's a chance for us to (mentally) wipe the slate and start over. Spend some time the next week or so making plans for the rest of the year.

No matter what your business is, there are many low-cost advertising/marketing/PR ideas out there. Look into them and take advantage of them. If business is slow, it's a great time to try out some new ideas to see what ideas may help you attract new customers.

I hope you all had a really wonderful holiday season. Thank you for continuing to come around. Let's all have a happy and prosperous 2009.