Recent economic data points to market stability and a push into the recovery phase by the second quarter of 2010. Less businesses went bankrupt in the last 12 months than 2008, mostly due to government intervention, which saved insurance giant AIG (one of the companies were predicted would fizzle to death in our last issue) and the car businesses (also predicted, Ford and GM).

However, this year, the Feds are under more pressure to stop wasting hard earned tax money and focus more on employment, social security,  and the health care reform bill. This means that many companies will still keep going bankrupt, as Uncle’s Sam safety net has become increasingly porous. Also, credit is still dried up, the dollar is losing its value, and more banks are being closed (banks in 4 different states were taken over by the FDIC today).

Here is the list of 10 companies we predict won’t live to see the next holiday season:

1) Loehmann’s

Loehmann’s has declared bankruptcy protection twice, once in 1989 and in 1999. They have very low market visibility and are losing their fight to big time discount dress store Ross, who is making big gains in the sector. Lookout for big changes in the company structure to avoid Bankruptcy- if it isn’t too late.

2) Blockbuster

We keep picking against these guys, yet they keep on surviving. The video rental company had a horrible third quarter (although ALL their quarters are equally awful). Revenue for this period of 2009 was $910.5 million, down from $1.16 billion for the same quarter a year ago. The firm’s net loss was $114 million compared to a $19 million loss in the same period in 2008. Blockbuster has only $141 million in cash and cash equivalents. No one has figured out what to do with Blockbuster. The company has 3,662 stores in the US and 1,703 overseas.

3) Palm

These guys are really in trouble- their launching of Pixi was supposed to propel them to great revenue, but facing the fiery marketing of Verizon’s Motorola Droid and newer model sets from Nokia. Stocks have plummet from a 52- year high of $18 to an investor target of $10-11 based on earnings (almost a 60% drop). These guys are in big trouble and need to move past Sprint to get anything done.

4) Caterpillar

Construction is still down and facing huge losses, as most of the market stability has come from the manufacturing sector. Caterpillar struggled in 2008 and cut 20,000 jobs on January 2009. More job losses are on the way and the days are numbered for this construction company. It’s largest divisions are facing difficulties with liquid assets due to the credit crunch and the future looks very bleak

5) Sprint- Nextel

Has 8,000 jobs now lost and things will get even worst and Could be potentially bought out by the end of 2009. While both Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T (NYSE: T) increased the number of subscribers in the third quarter, Sprint Nextel, like T-Mobile, saw its subscriber count drop. Regardless of gains in the prepaid space, many argue that Sprint still has to stop the bleeding on the postpaid end. Sprint’s balance sheet is stacked with debt and it continues to invest money in Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR), which it is relying on for its 4G expansion. Sprint will be in trouble this year.

6) Hertz

Hertz is loaded with debt from financing their cars and increased interest rates will not be helping. It’s employees are underpaid and job confidence is down- they went on strike recently. Although stocks are up from their low of $2, demand for business is decreasing- Americans traveled less and spend less money on cars.

7) Macy’s

Consumers are staying away from department stores and the quality of products in Macy’s has been suffering more and more. Same store sales will likely keep falling at Macy’s right through 2009. With $2.4 billion of maturing debt over the next five years, the company is trying to cut costs, and has already reduced its dividend.

8 )  General Growth Properties

Mall owner General Growth Properties Inc. (GGWPQ) will ask a New York bankruptcy judge to sign off on a reorganization plan to restructure some $9.7 billion in mortgage loans. Approval of the plan, which affects 92 properties, is the first step in the company’s bid to get the 166 malls it put into Chapter 11 in April out of bankruptcy.

The deal extends the due dates on the mortgages by several years in return for various payments. If Judge Allan Gropper confirms the plan, the properties could emerge from bankruptcy court by the end of the year.

While approval of the plan would represent a significant milestone for General Growth, the country’s second-largest mall operator still must strike similar pacts with lenders on another $11.7 billion of debt. The Chicago company, which owns and manages more than 200 U.S. malls in 44 states, filed for Chapter 11 protection in April after failing to refinance a portion of its $27 billion debt as it came due.

9) OfficeMax

Office-what? Competition from Staples and Office Depot is driving this smaller retailer out of business- and fast. Also not helping: employee lawsuits, mail-in-rebate lawsuits, overpriced items. They laid off 2800 last year, but it hasn’t helped their income.

10) Pier 1 Imports

Pier 1 closed 100 stores and has spent the last year making promises of change, but the ongoing housing collapse caught them like a deer in the headlights. Now, the retailer believes it has a solution; investors are clearly not as convinced. People are putting off purchasing furniture and the store has fallen off consumer radar.

Online sales have increased 7% in the past year even during the financial problems of today. If you have noticed the boom of the online business industry and the amount of millionaire it is churning out every year, then you are probably looking to join in this parade. Would you like to be an independent online entrepreneur or have another stream of income to boost your financial security?

If you answered yes to these two questions, you are already gifted with the interest and a tiny percent of the motivation that it takes to become an online entrepreneur. The difference between success and failure is of course, what you do about it.

One of the best features about the Internet is that it has massive reach and unlimited boundaries when it comes to getting customers. This means that if you have something to sell, a product, idea, networking ability, or service the internet can bring customers to you. All you have to do is build a portal and generate the traffic to make the sale. The next thing to do is to keep your online business growing. Here are some tips for you to build a successful online business.

1) Push or sell a good product. If you are promoting a product that is already struggling on the market and is underfoot and trodden upon by its competition, then you are backing a losing horse. Pick good online business options and profitable ventures to promote; this way you will start off strong.

2) Find out who your best customers are and cater to this demographic.

3) Build an excellent website that targets its audience from the get-go. Do not use a hard sell approach and remember to be subtle but strong.

4) Use strong SEO content that is informative, interesting and helpful. Use colors and a good layout on your website so that it is appealing to visitors. Ensure that the content is well organized and visitors will be capable of navigating without confusion.

5) Once you have your product and your platform website, you are ready to be an online entrepreneur. However, the success of your enterprise depends entirely on marketing and advertising. For this you will have to create a web presence for yourself.

6) Create blog and promote yourself and your product. Use your blog to establish yourself as a real person and share tips and interact with your target audience.

7) Lastly use social media tools to promote yourself further and generate leads.

If you are a small business owner, you have undoubtedly encountered the seemingly difficult challenge of balancing your business obligations with those of home and family. Being committed to both a business and family life forces us to blur the lines sometimes. While trying to succeed in business and contribute to nurturing a family simultaneously is an ambitious goal, the frequent outcome is that we spread ourselves thin and wind up feeling as though we don’t do anything well.

If this sounds familiar to you, take heart that there are some simple strategies you can implement to restore some structure to your day and make yourself more effective in your sometimes seemingly conflicting roles. The tips that follow are designed to help you improve the balance without compromising growth.

1) Your business day and your work day can be different. Depending on your industry, there are certain expectations regarding when you are open for business. For many of us in service-based businesses, that is Monday-Friday from about 8:30am-5pm. If so, have someone available during those hours to answer your phone and attend to your location if you have on-site traffic. Doing so will inspire confidence in those looking to do business with you that you are in fact ready to do so. That does not mean that you must be personally available for every moment during those hours. Schedule your activities including phone calls and meetings at times that work for you. With the right people and tools in place, you can transact business during the business day, but produce the work at a time and place of your choosing.

2) Don’t answer your phone, but make sure your phone is answered. While this may sound counterintuitive, in this age of mobile communications it’s easy to get sucked into the myth that you will be most productive if you respond to every call and e-mail the moment they arrive. The fact is that’s simply not true. Being effective in all your roles requires some level of concentration and attention. Have you ever called a service provider and reached someone who is on a cell phone clearly engaged in another activity? While they may feel as though they are providing good service by answering your call, the reality is that the caller may feel as though they are an interruption and the information exchanged and follow-up may be lacking. Hire a receptionist to answer your business calls on a landline and schedule your activities to your preference. If you don’t wish to hire an employee, there are off-site telephone reception companies that offer a highly personalized service in such a way your callers will feel they have reached your staff. Important calls can be screened, announced and connected to you in real-time if needed.

3) Automate the routine, personalize the exception. Someone much smarter than I coined that phrase, but it has the ability to transform your business dramatically. Generally, 80% of the interactions a client has with your business are fairly routine. By that I mean, the same questions get answered, the same forms are filled out, and the same process is followed. This is the way it should be and the only way a business can begin to generate any volume. The remaining 20% of interactions may require some exception to the rules requiring your personal involvement. If you design your systems well, the routine functions can be delegated. Whether you choose to employ someone on-site to handle these tasks or outsource them to a third party provider is a personal choice, but it frees you up to focus on the exceptions that require your expertise.

Balancing business and personal life in the modern age is a constant juggling act, but by putting some boundaries in place, utilizing available resources and delegating where appropriate, you can achieve more balance between work and lifestyle while growing your business simultaneously.

I. Toyota Motor Corp.
2008 revenue : $264.8 billion (Ranked 5th)
2019 revenue estimate: $1.07 trillion

The fall of General Motors and Ford, the other large automakers in the world, will leave Toyota the lone giant in the automobile industry. From 1998- 2008, Toyota’s revenue grew more than 300% and TMC  surpassed GM as the largest automaker in the world. With a less competitive market, Toyota’s brilliance will lead them to assume the title of the most powerful corporation in the world. Their annual production will double in the same years as demand for growing populations in developing countries increases.

II. Saudi Aramco
2008 revenue : $199 billion (Ranked 8th)
2019 revenue estimate: $975 billion

Prior to the recession, with gas prices swelling to the near $150 range, Saudi Aramco had plans to double its oil production in a matter of 5 years. Investors know that ultimately oil prices will reach almost double its previous highs and Saudi Arabia will be the leading petroleum producing nation in the world.

III. Walmart Corporation
2008 revenue : $374.5 billion (Ranked 2nd)
2019 revenue estimate: $912 billion

The second largest company in the world as of 2009, Walmart was one of two stocks in the Dow Jones to post an increase in share value in 2008 (13% return, the other being a 0.50 percent return for McDonald’s) . Due to the financial crisis, many of Walmart’s competitors will go out of business, leaving Walmart unchallenged in its continued rise in dominance.

IV. ExxonMobile
2008 revenue : $477 billion (Ranked 1st)
2019 revenue estimate: $890 billion

ExxonMobile has been posting record revenues and profits even through the economic turmoil. It has a great leadership umbrella, enough oil to last almost 20 years with current projections, and an interest in incresing its power through offshore drilling, land purchases, and research. It loses its top rankings because it only holds 1% of the world’s oil and gas reserves and needs to increase holdings to keep up with the other giants.

V. AT &T Corporation
2008 revenue : $119 billion (Ranked 28th)
2019 revenue estimate: $810 billion

Don’t be fooled by the 28th rank in revenue. At & T posted bigger profits than most companies ahead of them. Also, coming in at 5th in total market capitalization, it is a significantly large company and growing rapidly due to increased demand for internet and telecom services. As the Internet evolves and becomes a major part of everyone’s lifestyle, At & T will become a dominant force in the economy.

VI. General Electric
2008 revenue : $169.7 billion (Ranked 14th)
2019 revenue estimate: $775 billion

Although it has been having trouble with its share value in the recent weeks as investments are hesitant about investment in the stock market, in general, GE has been around since the Dow Jones was created and will continue to prosper in the future with numerous investments in alternative energy, medical software, and more. It’s market capitalization (third) will allow for big investments and great rewards.

VII. Samsung Group
2008 revenue : $174.2 billion (Ranked 12th)
2019 revenue estimate: $740 billion

The world’s largest conglomerate posted a $13 billion profit in 2008 after heavy marketing and recently surpassed Sony as the largest electronics company in the world. With electronics becoming a bigger part of everyone’s lifestyle and Asian countries growing in power, Samsung is poised to become a top ten company within a short time span.

In a few months time, America has seen drastic drops in consumer spending and less demand for almost everything. This has led to sweeping changes in the economic landscape as thousands of smaller companies and a considerable number of large ones have closed their stores, laid off their employees, and filed for bankruptcy protection. Some of these companies include: Circuit City, Linen N’ Things, Mervyn’s, Pier 1 Imports, Sharper Image, KB Toys, Tribune, Saab,  and Lehmann Brothers.

As 2008 tested the flexibility of businesses, 2009 will also not be kind to many companies that have been unable to restructure their budgets to deal with lack of demand and credit. As one economist states, “Short-sightedness, failure to think outside the box,and the inability to adapt to a changing market and changing demographics coupled with arrogance will lead to their failures.” The companies below are best bets to close down their stores sometime in 2009.

I. Sirius XM Satellite Radio
With shares just above a dime each, Sirius satellite is facing major problems in debt repayment. It posted a half billion dollar loss in 2008 and demand is generally nonexistent for its products. It has over 3 billion in unpaid debt and with deadlines approaching, it may be timed for this short lived company to close down.

II. Ford
4 years of billion dollar losses (2.7 billion loss of 2009) and a 53% drop in car purchases in the month of February 2009 has left Ford in shambles. Shares have fallen in the few dollar range with no increase in sight as every report seems to point to the end of almost 92 years of Fordism. Only a swift turnaround in the economy led by an increase in consumer spending and complete makeover of its business will allow Ford to survive.

III. General Motors
General Motors has received cash injections from the federal government but has seen no major turnaround and a staggering 27 billion of losses in 2008. They would surely be bankrupt if it had not been for intervention from the feds. In a worse situation than Ford, GM (the second largest automaker in the world) is nearing the end of its historic run.

IV. AIG
An American record $61 billion loss in a quarter and a 30 billion cash injection from the Fed’s has been the story of AIG in the last few weeks. Sooner or later, the government is going to stop using taxpayer money to bail out the 18th largest company in the world.

V. Sears Holding Corporation
Sears has been struggling to change its business image to appeal to customers and fend off competition from larger retailers. With losses of $826 million, it’s a matter of time before investors figure out that the $35 per share for SHLD is overpriced. However, their somewhat dependable appliance division might be here to stay.

VI. Borders Books & Music
Facing stiff competition from overzealous Barnes & Nobles and Amazon.com, Border’s holiday sales decreased over 10% in 2008 and revenue has been dropping consistenly. Unless their is some major reorganization at the top executive level, Border’s will become another victim of the economy.

VII. Rite-Aid
Rite Aid stores are losing their appeal as CVS and Walgreen’s have begun to entice consumers with excellent promotions, savings, and better merchandise. Shares of Rite-Aid have fallen to about a quarter from their 52 week high of $3. More importantly, consumer reviews of Rite Aid seem to show corporate distruct and a drop in customer service, which over time translates to a drop in demand.

VIII. Blockbuster
Overpriced and off the radar, Blockbuster has been surprassed by NetFlix. Consumers are also turning to cheaper alternatives, such as Redbox. Also, online statistics show in 2008, pirated movie downloads increased more than ever before. Blockbuster is already in great peril and seeks to change its corporate image.