OK, so things suck all over. Here are a few creative ways some companies are trying to turn lemons into lemonade — or at least get a little chuckle.
Some are clever, some a little morose, but all are ways for people to better cope with these troubled economic times:
1. Jack Bistro — a French-American restaurant in New York City is offering a “Dow Depression Special”: For every point the Dow drops, the restaurant will shave a penny off its prices. So a 100-point dive will save you $1 off your bill.
2. The Jobee Hive Layoff Tracker lets you see not only who’s being laid off but how they’re being laid off (Really? A mass voice mail? That’s how one company handled it!) The site lists the layoffs chronologically, but you can also search by company name, city and/or country.
3. Sarah’s Smash Shack in San Diego may not be new, but it’s experiencing a new surge in business. For $35 you can enter a private room and smash plates to reduce your stress levels.
4. The “Layoff” video game requires players to cut headcount to save their company money, in the form of the popular game “Bejeweled.” Players can even initiate a bank takeover when they lay off more than five workers in one shot.
5. A brothel is trying to combat a downturn in business (thanks to the recession) by offering to allow wives to “participate.”
6. Workforce Central Florida and the Orange County Board have created a contest to offer the unemployed some much needed skills. The winner of the “Careereoki” singing contest will receive career training scholarship, both personal and resume makeovers, and a $100 gas card to get to all those job interviews.
7. A California woman who’s been unemployed for several months decided to print her resume on a T-shirt and wear it around town in the hopes of catching a potential employer’s eye.
8. The online “Bank Implode-O-Meter” tracks the latest failed banks, credit unions, etc. Let’s hope you don’t see your financial institution on the list.
Have you run across any others? Share them here.
