"We want to come out strong."

I spent two weeks in June attending presentations by industry thought leaders and participating in detailed conversations with finance, marketing and IT executives about their business strategies for adapting during a recession.

During those events I met business leaders with very real concerns about their organizations and some with solid ideas on how to operate in a new economic environment. What advice did they offer? Here are two my favorite quotes:

“Good business is essential, regardless of the economic climate.”

“We don’t want to just struggle through and be hanging by our fingertips when the economy recovers. We want to come out strong.”

Currently, economists are predicting a recovery for a number of countries, including Singapore and Sweden. Other countries, such as Australia and India, never felt the effects of the recession.

Whether you’re looking for ways to come out strong, or for advice on plain old good business practices, this issue of sascom is filled with guidance you can use, You’ll find 11 ideas for economic recovery and many great examples of customers using SAS for good business, including a retailer at the top of the S&P 500 and a pioneer in multiple banking services.

Alison Bolen, Editor-in-Chief