4 ways to inspire yourself during a revolution

This is what the bright side of economic collapse looks like.

Do you remember studying revolutions at school?

Make no mistake.

You are now witnessing a revolution unfold in front of your eyes.

What do you do?

You plan for every single emergency like some of the below:

Currency devaluation
Extended shortage in USD
Civil disobedience

You do it because that's what responsible managers do.

If you are anything like me, you spend sleepless nights thinking of:

Corporations in foreign lands
International business development on steroids
Online bank accounts that don't require proof of residency

I do it because that's the vision we have for our clients.

Amidst the overwhelming uncertainty, one of my clients shared a nugget of wisdom. It pierced through the walls of my rationality.

"Just embrace it," he said, "how often do revolutions happen?"

He's right. How many of 'The French Revolutions' have you heard of?

Revolutions are wild and beautiful beasts that appear only a handful of times in our history.

So, we've decided to compile a shortlist on How to Embrace the Lebanese Revolution.

It starts by tuning into your customers and the people around you to find opportunities to contribute positively.

Here are some opportunities that have inspired me.

1. HELP PEOPLE SAVE MONEY

A friend of mine saw prices rising in supermarkets, so he launched an online grocery store with a small thousand dollar investment. They offer your favorite products at a twenty percent discount relative to market prices. They can do this because they have no offices, no retail space, and low overhead. They've negotiated favorable terms with suppliers and have on-demand logistics and payments, as well as a few online subscriptions.

2. HELP PEOPLE EXCHANGE CURRENCY

A group of people are setting up exchange platforms to help business owners buy and sell LBP/USD. These platforms are more attractive, convenient, and accessible.

3. DELIVER YOUR SERVICE THROUGH AN ONLINE PLATFORM

Platform-based businesses are seeing a surge in business activity while brick-and-mortar businesses are being severely disrupted (or even closed). That's because online services are more convenient (available 24/7), easier to transact (credit vs. cash) and less costly (lower running costs).

4. GET IN THE WAY OF 'PANICKING' MONEY
There is an incredible opportunity to startup now because local wealthy individuals are shunning cash from the increased talk of a haircut on large accounts. Find potential investors with more than a million USD in the bank and pitch your business, startup or property so gain/save what you can.

The biggest opportunities I see lay among the medium to long term time-frame because many businesses have been only artificially sustained over the last few decades by corrupt politicians and their entourage. The most obvious ones are the banks, but this extends to almost all sectors including the accounting/ financial services industry where we operate.

The truth is, we have an entire economy to rebuild.

Get excited.

Get to work.

I leave you with a quote that resonates with us. It's uttered by none other than Warren Buffet:

“You never know who's swimming naked until the tide goes out.