Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

They say you need to provide Value to others to be profitable.

But with hard times upon our nation, job loss, mortgage lending down and general slow down.

What has changed in consumers, what do they value now that they didn't before the slow down?

And what new trends in Valuation might we see as time goes on?

On one argument I've heard there may be a shift to quality and a more discriminating customer who may be trying to buy quality products and services to ensure the money they have is well spent.

On the other hand there's the argument customers may be buying lower quality due to lack of funds and using the money elsewhere.

In 10 or 20 years from today what might they say people in our current era Valued?

Please provide your thoughts, thanks !

I thought my lower priced "entry-level" products will be big sellers back in 2009. (They were during 2007 and 2008.) But that was not the case in my experience.

On one argument I've heard there may be a shift to quality and a more discriminating customer who may be trying to buy quality products and services to ensure the money they have is well spent.

Yes, this has been my experience from my customers. My higher-priced products were the biggest sellers in 2009, and this January 2010, seems to even reinforced that.

My opinion is customers don't mind spending if they're going to get quality and great value.  (Great value not necessarily being the most inexpensive.) They'd rather spend more to get what they really want, instead of buying cheap and getting something that is just so-so.

Buy cheap, buy twice.

But buy the one you really want (regardless of the cost), and be done with it.