By Terry Dean

It's no secret that the US is entering a recession...and businesses are scared out of their minds.

Notice I didn't call this article how to "survive" a recession.

Way too many businesses are going into survival mode. They don't plan to push forward. Their whole goal is just to stay in business.

You don't have to be like that. You can take advantage of this time and propel your business to success.

Don't even think of this as a recession. Recession implies going backwards.

So, instead of a recession, think of it as a "Revolution." The way the majority of people have been doing business will have to change. You either change or get out of business.

You have a choice of whether you're going to be afraid, give up, and quit...or if you're going to jump on this opportunity to expand your business while everyone else is failing.

Below are 5 ways to both survive and profit from the recession:

1. Build an Opt-In Email List.

A list is the key to long term profits in any business. A recession only makes collecting one to sell to over and over again essential. If you've neglected starting a list until now, you need to do it today.

Use the opt-in email list to bond with your prospects and customers.

Send them out some good valuable information for free. Build trust with them. Let them get to know you...and the fact that your competition might sell a widget for 10% less won't stop your sales.

2. Sell Multiple Products to the Same Customer.

Think about selling to your customers over and over again by providing them other related products.

Change your focus from generating 100,000 customers to creating 5,000 customers who buy everything you sell. A customer's first purchase may be for $10, but by selling them again you may increase their lifetime value to $1,000 or more.

The problem with too many business is that they are product centered instead of customer centered. Don't define your business by saying you sell eBooks...Water Heaters...or real estate.

Your business definition should be things such as:

- You help people succeed online through providing information and tools they need.

- You help home owners improve the value of their home and the quality of their life.

- You help people move into the area and find what they need for their lifestyles.

Think in terms of your customers...not in terms of the products you have to sell. What other products and services do your customers need that you can provide or joint ventures to provide.

3. Make sure you have a Unique Web Position.

What separates you from the competition?

If all you offer are lower prices, then you might as well close your doors today. Someone out there will have better purchasing power and will be willing to live on smaller margins.

It's over for you if you don't develop uniqueness.

Provide better customer support, longer warranties, more bonuses, greater selection, faster service, etc. Find something you can do better then your competitors. Then focus on it as your primary position in the marketplace.

4. Keep Advertising or Increase Your Ad Budget.

Now is not the time to quit advertising. This drives your business and you'll need to keep generating leads for today and tomorrow. Since you'll find bargains while others quit advertising, you may even want to increase.

Test everything. Make sure every ad you place is earning a profit and generating leads. Don't ever allow yourself to place any ad you can't track, no matter how lucrative it could be.

If there are any ads you can't 100% track, then cancel them now. If there are any ads which don't produce a profit on their own, cancel them. Keep advertising, but make sure every ad is pulling it's own weight.

5. Look for Opportunities Others Are Ignoring.

Look for ad prices to go down. Keep an eye on whatever is in the news. While a large number of businesses fail during recessions, this is also when a new set of millionaires emerge.

An area that will be expanding will be in adult education and job training. Since there are layoffs during a recession, there will be many former employees looking for new lines of work.

If you have a way of positioning your business for this market, then you'll find the coming months to be exciting times instead of a recession.

If you can find other markets which are increasing, then jump on them as well. Profits are waiting for you to find them just like buried treasure.

Just because there's a recession doesn't mean you have to participate in it.