Folks, what a nightmare 2022 was? Like one of my friends would say, “We certainly got the heck of 2022”- with so many uncertainties everywhere… the economies crashing on our budget with inflation like never before, rising food prices leaving many with much less to eat, high cost of fuel driving prices of nearly everything from transportation to groceries putting undue pressure on singles and hardworking families like yours. You know what? All of this happened when the world’s population turned 8 billion. That is 1 billion more mouths to feed in the midst of the worst hunger crisis, 1 billion more pressure on a worsening global climate crisis, 1 billion more strain on a weakening global economy and job market, and 1 billion more pressure on a crashing global health system. It has not been easy indeed.

But let’s take a deeper look at some of the painful highlights of the year on families and communities.

WFP reports that “A staggering 50 million people in 45 countries are just one step from famine,” while more than 800 million people went hungry in 2022. That is almost 1 billion people, the same number by which the world’s population increased; and this is caused largely by the high fuel and food prices, increasing poverty; and worsening global conflicts and climate conditions.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations statistics show global food prices reaching alarming proportion with devastating effects on households and families. Remember that all this is just after the impact of the 2020 COVID-19 sting which caused extreme poverty to increase for the first time in nearly 100 years reversing the gains the world had made.

As if this is not enough folks; the worst part of it all is the stark increase in global conflicts around the world

The world is witnessing a plague of conflicts doubling in 11 years to about 175 state-based, non-state and one-sided. Doesn’t this seem a little like a melodrama when the stakes are so high here?

And as if all this is still not enough, while the world made some bold moves, the level of human activities exhibiting the global climate crisis is still too high and more actions are needed to reduce the level of vulnerabilities. 

By now its safe to say, “Oh God, what a year 2022 was?” I get that choking feeling of the loss of breath you might experience when it all just feels a little too much. I feel the same. It seemed there was no way to turn… just chaos everywhere. This 8 minutes video from “The New Humanitarian” gave a summary of 2022 in review: 2022- Year in Perspective. I encourage you to take a moment and watch the video if you can.

In the midst of all this craziness, by now, I thought I would have had better news for 2023. But experts are predicting that the madness continues in 2013, it would seem.

Building on the trends of 2022 and overlooking 2023, the predictions are beginning with “The usual odds” … the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts a likely global recession for 2023 and that 2023 will be more difficult than 2022… a slowdown in the global economy. Watch this short 2 minutes video from the IMF: IMF predictions for 2023. 

But what does this all mean for families like ours- this means, slow businesses, increasing job loss (note that large tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, etc. have already started cutting jobs for the 1,000s in January 2023 already), decreasing household income, shortage of essential goods and services, increase prices and the state of chaos ensues… Wow! This is too much, especially after what we have just seen in 2022. It simply means, the world will still experience “Business as usual” in 2023.

However the predictions; if you are a small business or a family consumer, there might just be a way out for you if you adopt these 5 key actions based on experience and evidence:

1. Adopt the online culture: shop or purchase online rather than through bricks and mortar stores- according to statista, in 2022, the value of the global digital economy is $1.6 trillion (USD); and constitutes about 20.4% of global retail sales in 2022 according to Forbes. This trend is increasing due to a) the convenience it brings to buyers and sellers- time, space, access, information, etc; and b) reduction on the cost of purchase/trade due to cut in warehousing, marketing, storefront, supply chain and transportation. As a small business owner, moving your sales online can reduce your overhead cost by up to 35% and can grow your customer base by up to 50%. As a consumer, this can cut your cost of transaction by up to 35% and your price up to 25%. www.hobyclean.com, which now operates as an online laundry marketplace is pivoting to a full Pan-African online marketplace for general goods, services, and downloadable with cross-border trading… signup early for 0% listing fee, only about 11% commission on sales, access to wider national and African markets for your products and services, and to be part of the first experience taking your business or shopping experience online and cross border across Africa and globally.

• Convert your hobbies to a sustainable business: the 21^st century world has changed dramatically as the postmodern consumer needs have changed considerably. Even in the state of economic and social turbulence, the postmodern consumer is still in the stage of abundance with varying choices and need for authenticity, meaning and connections. Many of us have developed unique skills that we support as hobbies and that can produce traditional products and services that connote deep meaning and personality to consumers. At least 50% of modern businesses and ideas to service the emerging needs, address emerging problems and take advantage of emerging opportunities are borne out of hobbies or were discovered out of serendipity. Begin horning your hobbies into a skill, identity a need, problem or an opportunity it can service within your context, develop a business model to deliver that service/product and figure out how to make money out of it. Consider an online business model as an option. With the www.hobyclean.com Pan-African online marketplace (growing with many new services added from time to time) for general goods, services, and downloadable facilitating cross-border trading, you can market your hobbies as a business in your local community, your country or across Africa from arts and crafts, to home made food, processed food, pastry, to fashion, etc. signup early and be part of the first experience taking your business or shopping experience online and cross border across Africa and globally.

• Adopt a smart way to do your laundry: according to our research, in the age of turbulence with grave effects on households, it would surprise you that the most expensive of household chores is laundry. It consumes up to 40% of household expenditure (water, electricity for washing machines and ironing, detergents, etc.), up to 40% of household labor time (mothers or home maids, etc.), causes up to 40% of household stress level and is hated deeply by the contemporary professional women and mothers. By adopting a community-based family wash and fold laundry basket subscription services, you can lower your household cost and save by up to 40% of household expenditure. www.hobyclean.com currently operates as an online laundry marketplace providing you 2 levels of services through multiple vendors- laundry and dryclean online: and family and business wash and fold monthly laundry subscription basket services. Download the hobyclean customer app from the app store and make an order now to experience the difference.

• Cook and eat at home more:  the rise in food prices simply means less food at a higher cost for families. By cooking and eating at home, we save up to 65% of household related expenditure compared to eating out. This does not mean you cannot give the family a treat. But consider your income, the need, the cost and the immediate future spending priorities. 

• Adopt 100% sustainable practices and behavior: the age of turbulence has thought us the need to go green, clean and efficient that can cut our immediate, mid- and long-term cost by up to 75%. It may not seem important to you in the very short run, but by adopting only energy efficient household equipment and appliances- freezers, cookers, washing machines, dryers, irons; reuse of water- using washing water to flush the commodes, scrub the floors, clean the drainage, etc.; eat fresh- grow your backyard garden, only purchase and eat fresh food rather than processed food; adopt preventive health practices- exercises including family walks and runs, plays, gym memberships, etc.  

Download Hobyclean apps: https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Appleton+Group+LLC

By: GHA; aka. “The Stuttering CEO”

CEO & Chief Design Officer – HobyClean