I came to Cleveland's trendy Tremont neighborhood in search of recession resistant businesses. Dave Ferrante of Visible Voice Books was no help.
FERRANTE: Look at the economy! People aren't going to spend on items like books when people are worrying about how they're going to feed themselves or whether they're going to have a job in a month. They're all holding out a little bit.
Ferrante is going to offer more used books to help drive traffic. He and others still have hope. He pointed to some new economic activity unfolding.
FERRANTE: so on this little corner of the street, you're going to have a restaurant, you're going to have a bookstore, you're going to have a vinyl store, a gallery across the street. So if you're going to do something you might as well come down here and hang out for a couple of hours.
Around the corner is Gentleman's Barber Shop where a haircut costs a modest 12 bucks.
But owner Liz Rodriguez says that's becoming too much for some of her customers.
REPORTER: Even haircuts. People have fewer haircuts?
RODRIGUEZ: Even haircuts. They, yeah, like if they come every two weeks, they come once a month. They try to stretch it a little longer.
REPORTER: How is that hurting you?
RODRIGUEZ: Well, it's hurting me, but you know, keep going, what can you do, do more hours, that's what I do.
The search for bright spots took me to a business you'd think would be really hurting about now.
PHILLIPS: Linda speaking, how can I help you?
REPORTER: Yes, hi, Dan Bobkoff at WCPN, how are you?
This is Linda Phillips, a Vice President at VIP Travel in Wooster . I asked her about a report I saw that said travel agents might be doing OK.
PHILLIPS: I'd have to agree that it's stronger right now than some other industries-surprisingly.
REPORTER: Why do you think that is?
PHILLIPS: I don't know. I'm knocking on wood because I have no answer for it.
Phillips says it's mainly business travelers that are still calling.
We could have gone to bill collectors, car repo-men and the like to find businesses doing well in this economy. But who wants to talk to them?