"In the face of adversity lies opportunity." If you do an Internet search for this phrase, you will find that it is attributed in various forms to several notables but my scholarly editor in chief, Al Wahnon, likely knows exactly who said this. Be that as it may, the phrase speaks volumes to all of us. Certainly no one would argue that these are adverse times- difficult, challenging, frustrating and downright scary, to be honest.

But, if we stand back for a clear picture we can see opportunity. The simple fact is that every house and building in the country requires floor covering. That being the case, people will only look at an ugly sight for so long and with families staying home more, they have plenty of time to spend in a house that is wearing out and on them. The same holds true for businesses. They may not want to spend a lot of money but fresh paint and flooring certainly has a way of brightening up their lives.

The opportunity in these times is finding the right message that puts you in front of the consumer who is in the market for new floor covering.

Pent up demand is also an opportunity. People are paying down debt, banks aren't loaning and, if you are aware of the news and siphon through the rhetoric, you know that consumers are saving their cold hard cash. Interiors are not getting any better looking on their own and eventually all the projects that have been put on hold will begin to open up. It may only be one room at a time or one space at a time but eventually it will all need to be refurbished.

The three basic human needs are food, clothing and shelter and since people are spending so much time in their shelter, they'll want to make it as comfortable as they can.

That bodes well for you. Dealers I've spoken to around the country have told me they see business starting to stabilize. It may not be the greatest news but the downward slide has somewhat subsided. For certain products people are still spending money. TVs, state of the art phones, shoes, lipstick and makeup are but a few of the products doing big business. And despite what you may think, some segments of the flooring industry are doing double-digit business.

One needs only to watch the History Channel to see that man has had to experience untold challenges throughout generations. He has adapted. Watch the Science Channel to amaze yourself at what the future, which is now, holds in store. The most adaptable will survive.

I have always been a believer that when the going gets tough, the tough get going and that in the face of adversity lies opportunity. In my opinion there's more opportunity then ever if you make yourself aware of it. Business and the way it is being done is evolving at such a fast pace it's dizzying. If you embrace change, these are actually exciting times. If it scares you and you continue to do business the way you have always done it, you may very well not survive. When you see the opportunities that lie ahead by thinking and looking outside the box, you will not only survive but thrive.

My friend Warren Tyler told me some years ago that, "Any man can out-think a billion dollar corporation." I love that statement because it is true. You too, can out think your competition to not only be the survivor but the thriver. If all of this flooring is going to be sold into all of this space, why shouldn't you be the one to sell it?