Competing is a misnomer. You cannot compete with these kinds of things unless you have a site dedicated to something along lines of what people are giving most of their attention to during times like this.

I bet people with anti-terrorism pages, pro or con war sites, and myriad other topics related to our current state of affairs are about only ones noticing a steep INCLINE in traffic right now.

So, how do we turn this seemingly helpless situation into something positive?

Well, war is going to end someday. The market is going to soar. Buyer confidence is going to swing back. Are you going to be ready for it?

Think about all those things you had on your plate when sales were higher and customer service demands were preventing you from getting back-burner projects done.

Now is perfect time to clean your slate of to-dos: Get that report written, update your autoresponder messages, create that killer, sales-boosting freebie you have had on your list to do. Do inventory, reply to emails you have been putting off (what a RELIEF to clean your inbox!), pay your bills, organize your taxes and business receipts, back up your computer, get rid of junk you've collected online that you are not going to use, ever.

There is no guru out there that reached pinnacle of their success without strategic partnerships playing a huge part. You might be thinking, "Yeah, but I don't have those connections." Well neither did I when I started. And neither did any of big boys you have bought a new info product or service from recently.

Everyone started somewhere on net to get where they are today, and biggest start you can give yourself is by making business partners out of acquaintances you find as you travel net in search of advice, information, and technical support.

One crucial aspect of finding joint venture partners is belonging to a set of communities closely or directly related to your business focus on net. If you are selling hosting services, you need to join forums related to webmasters, designers, and anyone with a focus on or need for hosting services.

Let's take this a step further and say you are offering hosting services and want to find a JV partner who can help you find customers. One great place to look is on internet marketing and web design forums. You will find tons of people with a client base to whom hosting is a central, crucial issue in their individual business development and success.

By participating in these forums you can make friends with designers who constantly look for hosting services to provide their clients with top-notch services geared toward each individual businesses needs. You are providing what that designer needs to offer his clients and you propose a JV. This can include ANYTHING like a cut of monthly hosting fee for all clients he/she refers to you. When you find right person to help you promote your product, and if you participate in forums you WILL, your business can literally take off over night.

I found an incredible partner for my info product "Power Linking Your Way to 1 Million Hits" on Internet Marketing Warriors forum. I created a one-of-a-kind product that he saw great potential in, and he provided a contact list for further JVs that rivals any contact list on net today. And he himself is a relative no-name on net compared to contacts he has.

The point is, you never know who you are going to find on net or who is going to find you, who can change your profit level immensely and immediately. You just have to participate in forums. Become a part of communities geared toward your niche and participate often. Offer advice, ask questions, trade services or products rather than pay for everything with cash - possibilities are endless.