I just saw an item on BBC News about how certain businesses are thriving in the credit crunch – such as cobblers, as people economise by getting their Manolos mended rather than junking their Jimmy Choos. So what other businesses are recession-proof?

Don’t say loan sharks and reposession companies, you cynics at the back. Pizza delivery companies were also mentioned in the piece – I guess as a cheaper alternative to eating out, though you can get two large pepperoni pizzas for £2.99 at Budgens. I’m guessing Lidl, Aldi and TK Maxx are also doing quite well. On ‘Super Thursday’ last week – the day when more books are published in the UK than any other day, for the Christmas market – some commentators were saying books are the perfect credit crunch gift.

A number of people have asked me lately if I think my business will be affected by the economic downturn. Now, I’m an optimist, and  my answer is always ‘no’. But my reasoning is this: my business is social media marketing. That’s cheaper and more effective than traditional marketing. So if people want to cut back on their marketing budgets and reach their customers in a more authentic, direct way, they are more likely to invest in social media. I produce but also advise. So even if people want to do it themselves rather than pay someone create the media for them, they still need training – and I’ve seen an increase in workshop requests lately.

Time will tell. But I do think that, for businesses generally, it makes a lot more sense to start a blog, set up a Facebook Group, put a video on YouTube, or launch a podcast than invest the cash in a magazine ad that only appears in one place for one month. As marketing guru Seth Godin says in his latest book, Meatball Sundae, the ‘New Marketing’ already exists out there – people are spending more time interacting with each other online. It’s how businesses respond to this new culture that matters.

If it’s done well, if you think about your positioning, if you have something to offer that people actually want, and if you can reach them cheaply but effectively, you can not only survive, but thrive in a recession.