Is doom and gloom all we can expect from the global economic crisis or is there a more positive way of looking at it? Denise Carter discovers what lessons we may have learned

There’s no denying the global financial crisis has hit hard. Maybe not as hard in Australia as in some European countries and the US, but nevertheless it’s something we could have well done without.

Perhaps, though, despite the downsizing of businesses and the laying off of staff and the misery it has caused, there has been an opportunity for people to change their way of thinking and to try new ways of making a life that works.

It’s not easy to find people who will say they are doing well.

Nobody wants to admit to being the person making money, or indeed to have made beneficial changes to their lives, while others have been suffering.

There are certain businesses, which grow in times of economic turmoil, although not for very pleasant reasons.

Private hospitals, for example, tend to have more patients because stress causes a multiplicity of ills, and business administrators are busy mopping up as people become bankrupt.

This time though, there have been other industries that just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Take nurseries, for example, which are currently enjoying people’s return to nature.

We may not have reached Little House on the Prairie stages yet but the vegetable patch is becoming ever more desirable for people with a backyard.

Companies selling home goods like linen are also doing well as people go into nesting mode and spend more time indoors.

As we become more thrifty and less likely to buy new clothes, at least at the levels we did pre GFC, mending and sewing shops are feeling like they are back in vogue.

The humble lipstick, just one of many cosmetics and one not usually given much thought, is embraced in economic downturns.

Women budget for a good lippy to make themselves feel better.

Enter direct selling cosmetic companies like Mary Kay which is now experiencing a boom.

Locally Cairns has suffered due to the downturn in tourism and the building industries and has a current unemployment rate of 12.5 per cent.

But perhaps the Billy Ocean’s ’80s hit When the going gets tough, the tough get going should spur people on who are struggling to find a glimmer of hope.

Graham Poon is CEO of local not-for-profit company Troplinks Inc, which has a vision of growing the tropical economy of Australia, and he is on the management committee of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce.

He believes optimism breeds success.

"In this economy, it’s the people who remain positive and who get on with the job," Graham says.

"For example, today (Wednesday) I put an ad in The Cairns Post and a personnel agency called and said, ‘we’d like to help you out’," he says.

"So they are getting out and doing things and being pro-active. When times get tough, you’ve got to expand your horizons."

Graham says Cairns business people should not wait on government money but make their lives work for themselves.

"When we had a hot economy, people sat there and waited for business but now it’s a different story," Graham says.

"I’ve worked in retail before and I certainly learned you can’t wait for people to come through the door – you have to send out letters, phone people, and go to trade shows.

"I’ve been through a number of recessions. The people who are left standing are stronger because they’ve had to fight a lot."

"We are so reliant on tourism, the next six to 12 months are going to be tough, but individuals should work really hard selling tours and being proactive rather than taking orders."

Graham, looking back, can hardly believe Cairns is the same place, where five years ago, he found difficulty buying a house and then to find people to work on his kitchen renovations.

"I almost had to get down on my knees and beg," he says.

It’s a change all too familiar to Tim Bentley, managing director of Thomson Adsett Architects in Cairns, who says this is the worst he’s seen the construction industry in the 20 years he has lived here.

"The positive for Cairns is that it has hit rock bottom locally," he says. "The whole industry has had a big shakeup – we’ve been relying on the tourism market for so many years.

"There is a nervousness as to what direction to take."

Tim, however, just like Graham Poon, believes there is reason to be optimistic and that the crisis has offered an opportunity for change.

"There are opportunities on a daily basis in all industries and areas. We are definitely looking at diversifying," he says.

Commercial and retail development, aged care and medical tourism as well as bringing the company’s expertise to south-east Asia are part of Tim’s expansion plans for the future.

"We’re looking forward in 18 months time to a resurgence in these areas," Tim says.

In the meantime, there is the government stimulus package.

"There is no question the stimulus package is keeping the industry ticking over and that’s relevant to the entire state," Tim says.

"Now we have a population base, there is a lot more stability (in Cairns). I think there will be employment growth locally due to stimulus work."

Tim’s office has recently hired two people, an office manager and a draughtsperson.

So we have learned to be more creative, more pro-active, to fight harder for our livelihoods, and to diversify into different areas.

But have we learned any lessons as a society?

American author and New York Times journalist Tom Friedman has asked: "What if the crisis of 2008 represents something much more fundamental than a deep recession?"

"What if it’s telling us that the whole growth model we created over the last 50 years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall, when Mother Nature and the market both said, ‘no more’."

It’s one thing recognising such a wall, but has it made any difference? Have we really changed?

Social analyst David Chalke believes so. He describes the Australian national feeling.

"The overriding feeling is ‘phew, we’ve dodged the bullet’," he says. "There’s an element of optimism."

For a society of vast consumerism, David believes we might finally be learning to keep our spending in check.

"Frugality, moderation and caution," David says. "There’s a lot of going back to basics."

"People are re-energising their home and family life, growing their own vegetables, and having more meals at their house for the past 18 months," he says.

"An example is the increased popularity of MasterChef as opposed to say, Australian Idol, so there is a move from the trivial and superficial to shows that are more useful."

There is the return of the family dinner, which could result in more integrated families who share their day’s events with each other.

David Chalke believes the GFC has prompted us to re-assess our values.

"We have seen a shift to people being more concerned with a functioning society rather than a booming economy," he says.

"With the shock (of the GFC), we have discovered what is the most important to us, and that is the children.

"Over the last 10 years, we’ve taken our eye off the ball and that’s why we have this problem of teenage drinking and aberrant behaviour.

"We are now seeing a move towards families spending more time with each other, so instead of buying the children the latest technology, the family might buy bicycles and go cycling together."

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