Patrick Kuhn, Charlotte Moving Truck Rentals Inc. and Lake Norman Moving Services LLC

Survive and thrive? It's tough, these days, but it is possible.

Three years ago we started re-directing capital resources toward alternative fuel initiatives, not only because fuel prices – as we saw this past summer – promised to skyrocket, and not only because global warming seems to be a legitimate concern, but also because investing in alternative fuels promised long-term returns, if not stability during the current downturn in the economy.

Hard economic times, in theory, outside of this taxpayer-funded bailout for Wall Street debacle, will force innovation, and calculated, imaginative innovation can help a company not only survive, but thrive. It's one of the most beautiful aspects of capitalism.

Of course, when a company privatizes profits and later socializes losses – as we're seeing now – innovation, well, why bother?

The real-estate bubble is imploding, and taking many service-oriented companies – like moving companies, for example – with it. To avoid catastrophe we've modified our business-model on a dime and started redirecting efforts in a new way, one that, we hope, will produce significant growth potential: Slashing our dependence on foreign petroleum in favor of home-grown alternative fuels. In our case, Waste Vegetable Oil.

While many if not most transportation-related companies are downsizing their fleets – we are, too, temporarily, at least until spring – we intend to hire additional personnel this April and put more straight trucks on the road carrying expedited freight cross-country in units powered primarily by waste vegetable oil.

In the coming year we also intend to purchase additional power units (straight trucks) to lease to Charlotte-based companies determined not only to minimize their fuel expense, but also to capitalize on America's "green" initiatives.

Will it work? Is this a guarantee? Unfortunately, in today's economic and political climate, nothing is guaranteed. Clearly there comes a point when even the best and the brightest innovative ideas can fail during the worst possible times.