You have about eight weeks to impact your 2009 revenue with your marketing programs. No need to give up on the year, although 2010 is at our doorstep and you do need to also focus now on a strong start to the New Year.

With most of the stimulus dollars expected to be doled out in 2010, combined with record levels of cash held by investors earning close to zero, there is still a lot of liquidity headed into the economy and investment markets. Whether that means continued investment growth is debatable, but we are a long way from September 2008.

Check out these arts and entertainment events happening this week.

What the heck do karma and dharma have to do with your direct marketing success? Plenty. In this world, nothing happens to a person that he does not for some reason or other deserve, in life or in business.

Like Maxx, the market goes in the direction most suited to its mood, based on the behavior of the universe of buyers and sellers investing in it on that particular day.

While the recovery isn’t likely to be a steep one, have you put your strategic action plan in place? Now is certainly the time to move your organization’s thought process from survival to thriving in the next economic cycle.

The plain truth is you must become a masterful marketer if you want to keep your funnel full of leads for your sales team. You can’t put the pressure on the sales team without giving them good marketing support, not if you want maximum sales performance.

In today’s economy, saving for college is more challenging than ever. College costs continue to increase, but many who are saving for college have been affected by a decrease in the value of their portfolio. They may be out of work or their salary may have been frozen.

The truth is that having the patience of a saint in your business can pay huge dividends if you are committed to your strategy, have faith in the value of your products and services - and in your employees - and your upside revenue potential is real.

Deflation may seem like a good thing to cash-strapped consumers, but it’s a sign that all is not well with the economy. Prices drop when the economy is so weak that consumer demand drops. When prices drop, profits decrease, stock prices drop, and unemployment and bankruptcies increase.