A Global Rice Shortage? What’s next?

 I just read an article in the newspaper about the rising price of rice due to higher fuel costs. Check out the article here. http://origin.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_9036860

Now they’re saying there’s a world rice shortage and major suppliers like Costco and Sam’s Club are going to start rationing rice! You have to be kidding!! What’s next a shortage on the air we breathe? Oh we already have a shortage of clean air to breathe. We also have a shortage of gas and water. What don’t we have a shortage of?

We’re using less gas in the US but the cost keeps skyrocketing. People can’tafford to fill their cars with the price of a gallon closing in on $4. Food prices are skyrocketing and rent prices are soaring as the housing crisis continues to devastate us. I was in Safeway the other day and they wanted $3.49 for a dozen eggs. One dozen eggs! I remember paying just over a buck a few months ago. Milk is over $6 a gallon (my family insists on drinking organic milk but that’s going to end soon!) We’re not going to be able to afford anything pretty soon.

How is this affecting your business? Have you raised your rates or implemented a fuel surcharge? Are you afraid to raise your rates because your clients may disappear? It’s a fine line that you have to walk to keep your business going but also charging enough so you can stay in business. If you can’t cover your expenses then it’s not worth trying to keep your customers happy by not raising your rates.

I don’t remember anytime in my lifetime that things have collapsed so fast. We kept hearing how wonderful the economy was but the only ones reaping the benefits were the huge corporations and the richest one percent of our population. Everyone else slipped further into debt and now the proverbial shit is hitting the fan. Foreclosures and bankruptcies are at record levels and still increasing. With the prices rising faster than the temperature in July in Phoenix, more and more people are going to lose the battle and fall into bankruptcy.

Make sure you’re charging your clients enough to keep your business afloat. If you’re living on credit or running your business on credit stop right now and do what you have to so you can stay in the black. It’s a scary time right now and nobody’s going to be around to bail you out.

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