We’re all still watching our wallets. The economy, if no longer in free fall, remains weak, and consumers and corporate buyers alike are closely evaluating every purchase they make. Competition comes from everywhere now, and in the race-to-the-bottom-line era of Wal-Mart, your rivals are more aggressively courting the same business you want (and used to own). Indeed, competitors you never used to see are scrambling for orders—regardless of profitability—to avoid closing plants and laying off employees.
