The world of business and all things commercial has taken a huge knock in the last few years. Many commentators have used business history to try and predict what exactly will happen with the markets. But the previous economic depressions that the world has suffered through have not been on as large or as devastating a scale as this. For one thing the political situation is fraught with challenges. Half of the most economically powerful countries in the world are at war with or in countries that don't even have half their infrastructure or resources.
At home, commercial property development has lessened significantly, as have many other areas of construction. The economies of larger countries often depend on development, not only to provide employment, but also to lure investments of other kinds.
Closer to the ground it is really small business owners who have been hardest hit by the economic crisis. While bigger companies often have the cushioning to better deal with financial hardships, smaller businesses do not have those kinds of resources.
This means that shop owners, small business owners and even entrepreneurs are finding it difficult to keep their enterprises afloat. So while we are hearing about banks and bankers losing billions, really it is the small business owner who loses.
One has to wonder what future historians will think of this period in our history. How will we be seen by our children's children?