If you are like me you are having a difficult time getting your arms around the subprime mess or crisis. I am not sure how bad it is; what it is going to do to me; and what action I should take, if any? I hear all of the problems in the news, but, as of yet, it hasn’t affected me. Finally, I after much angst I came up with an analogy that helps me visualize the situation and how I should react.

Subprime Mess: Is that a Mushroom Cloud in the Distance?

Picture yourself standing outside your home. Fifty miles away, in the distance, you see a mushroom cloud from a nuclear blast rising into the atmosphere. Once you get over the initial shock you realize that it is far away from you. In fact, the sun is shining and everyone is going about their business.
The second thought that comes to your mind is: “I wonder which way the wind is blowing?” Is the nuclear fallout coming towards me or away? How bad is it going to be? For those individuals at ground zero it is pretty bad!
I visualize the subprime mess as a nuclear bomb that has exploded in our financal system. Personally, I don’t have any direct contact with industries affected by the crisis. The sun is still shining on my business and we are making money. But I am keeping an eye on that mushroom cloud in the distance! I know that as it spreads through the economy some fallout will affect me. In the meantime, we are spending causiously, hiring selectively and marketing aggressively.