With layoffs and unemployment skyrocketing, the Dow Jones, consumer and business confidence at decade or more lows and with every economist and media pundit engaging the contest of who can paint the bleaker picture, a word you don't hear too often at the moment is opportunity. However, what many people seem to forget in a recession is that while economic activity slows or even declines, it does not stop. Consumers and businesses still make purchases and trillions of dollars still pulsates through the worlds economy. Now this doesn't mean consumer's behavior doesn't change - it certainly does. But it typically changes in very predictable ways, which if understood, can put you ahead of the curve and in a very advantageous position.

So, let's take a minute and think about how people act in a recession. We'll focus on consumers, as affiliate marketing is generally more aimed towards that end of the spectrum than at businesses