The recession is on, money is tight and so people are making cutbacks in their disbursement. This goes from companies right down to the man (and woman) in the street.  No doubt we will see record sales being hit once again when the financial results come in at the end of the year as people cut back on what they may consider non-essential items (food, clothing and shelter, right?). 
 
However, it is also proved that, when things go awry in the financial sense, there are many that look for a little escapism from the everyday struggle.  Clubs with cheap entry and drinks promotions will continue to do trade while those who rely on an exclusive high-end clientele may struggle to crowd the dance floor. Sales of luxury goods may dip, but the malls will still have their fair share of bargain hunters. And people will still seek out some good music – albeit in smaller quantities.
 
No matter which way you go – it’s just a matter of playing it right and using the financial downturn to your advantage where you can.  You need to be aware of the circumstances of your audience and appeal to them right now. Whether it is escapism or reality that you are bringing.
 
As well as this you may bring more consideration to your own costs at this time. Saving money is never a bad habit but you need to make sure quality does not dip as a result. You can, for example, opt for an electronic press kit / EPK over a traditional hard copy one. You may want to outsource less of your business matters to save money – but be careful not to sell yourself short. You may still need the professional services of a manager, publicist, or lawyer. There is no point in all undermining your efforts for the matter of saving a few dollars. Cutting corners does not mean cutting your chances.
  
There will of course be those out there who are looking to do exactly the same thing, the trick will be in how well you can adapt to the times and manage to grind harder than the competition.  Unfortunately, despite the clamoring of hundreds of get-rich-quick authors, there are no failsafe, hard and fast rules. You will need to recognize the strength of your product and know your market. The art is just one side of this music game – the other is business – and in order to come through you have to be able to manage both. If you adapt to the times you can survive or prosper and this is the key right now…