There have been more recessions in America than presidents, 47 vs. 45.  Many economists believe number 48 is looming.  

The textbook definition of a recession is a period of declining economic performance across an entire economy, frequently measured as two consecutive quarters. In other words: it's a time when most Delaware Valley small business owners sell fewer of their goods and services.

There is one thing a recession is not.  It is not a time for Philadelphia area small business owners to stop advertising.

One of the greatest marketers of all time, Henry Ford, once said, "The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops the clock to save time."

What you had for breakfast this morning may prove Mr. Ford's observation.

Based on information from the National Retail Foundation, Delaware Valley consumers will be spending $138 million on Halloween this year. 

Typically, 80% of all Halloween shopping, according to the NRF, will occur between now and October 16.  The remaining dollars will be spent in the last 14 days leading up to the holiday.

Nearly 53% of consumers in the Philadelphia area are expected to participate in Halloween this year, each spending, on average, about $86.  This money will go towards the purchase of candy, decorations, costumes, pumpkins, and greeting cards.

Almost every type of local small business enjoys a taste of this spending. This includes hardware stores, convenience stores, craft stores, fabric stores, thrift stores, florists, card stores, consignment shops, haunted houses, home decor store, bakeries, and, of course, candy stores.

To claim a significant share of this Halloween cash will require local small business owners to advertise.  The key to successful advertising is reaching as many Halloween shoppers as possible over the next four weeks.

Advertising is critical to the success of every Delaware Valley small business owner.  One of the most powerful elements of any advertising campaign is how many people it reaches.

Nielsen, the world's largest consumer insights company, found that advertising reach has a more significant effect on sales than branding, recency, and context.

There are many ways a local business owner can advertise. This includes traditional media like Philadelphia radio, local TV, and newspaper. It also includes online advertising options such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pandora.

They type of customer an individual business needs to reach depends on the goods and services the company sells. For instance, a daycare operator might want to reach households with young children. On the other hand, a real estate agent could be looking for consumers in the market to purchase a new home.

Advertising on Philadelphia radio stations is the best way for small business owners to reach the lucrative, local mother market in the Delaware Valley. Here's why.

Local consumers will spend $93 billion over the next 12 months. Forbes magazine reports that it is moms who control 85% of all household purchases. Locally,  there are more than 583,416 mothers with children under the age of 17 at home.

Delaware Valley small business owners need to pay special attention to these mothers and their wallets. For example, compared to the general population, over the next 12 months, local moms live in households that are

• 32% more likely to get married
• 36% more likely to buy a major appliance
• 39% more likely to purchase carpet/flooring
• 45% more likely to buy a new mattress
• 52% more likely to buy a new vehicle
• 56% more likely to move
• 95% more likely to buy new furniture
• 97% more likely to buy a smartphone
• 101% more likely to refinance a mortgage

Delaware Valley small business owners have  depended on radio advertising to market their goods and services since the first Philadelphia stations began broadcasting in 1922. 

As a matter of fact, the earliest area radio stations were owned by local retailers including Gimbel's, Wanamaker's, Lit Brothers, and Strawbridge & Clothier.

Today, thousands of small business owners still invest in radio advertising. Not only because it's the only local medium that can reach 3,830,493 consumers every week, but, most importantly, because it works.

Meet five of the of local business owners who advertise on Philadelphia radio to capture a significant share of the $93 billion Delaware Valley consumers will spend this year.

Next year, according to Nielsen, 154,702 people in the Delaware Valley will be getting married.  Assuming that those folks are hitching-up with each other, that means there will be 77,351 weddings. 

CostOfWedding.com reports that the average cost for these pending nuptials will be $30,684 including (but not limited to) rings, dresses, tuxedos, flowers, venues, photographers, invitations, limos, and rice (or birdseed for the ecologically inclined).

This means small business owners in the Philadelphia area who cater to the bridal market will be competing for a share of $2.4 billion.

Mark Twain has some script writing advice for Delaware Valley small business owners who depend on radio advertising to market their goods and services.

"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter - 'tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning," advises Mr. Twain.

In other words, fill your commercials with lightning, not bugs!

Currently, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, there are 171,476 words in the English language. A handful of these words, small business owners can't use in their commercials on Philadelphia radio. The Supreme Court of the United States says so.

Of all the words that can be used in broadcast advertising, however, there is one word that should be shunned: 'get' and all of its nasty derivative forms including 'got' and 'gotten'.  Here's why.

Delaware Valley consumers will spend $98 billion on goods and services over the next year. To claim a significant portion of those expenditures, small business owners need to be at the top of customers' minds when it comes time to buy.

The first radio station in Philadelphia signed on the air 1922.  Since then, thousands of business owners have known, intuitively, that advertising on the medium was a potent way to be remembered when a purchase was imminent. 

As a matter of fact, some of the first Philadelphia radio stations were owned by the Delaware Valley's largest retailers including Gimbel's, and Wanamaker's, 

Today, area business owners no longer need to base their advertising plans on intuition.  Now, there is proof that advertising on Philadelphia radio creates the top of mind awareness necessary to drive sales.

Two things are remarkable about voting day in 1920.  It was the first time, ever, women could participate in the selection of the U.S. President. It was also the first time live election results were broadcast on the radio. Not to mention, it was also the first radio broadcast, ever.

The voters' choice that night was between Warren G. Harding  and James M. Cox.  Both men had derived their political power as successful newspaper publishers.  It is quite ironic, then, that one of these men would reach the highest office in the land on the same night that the nascent radio broadcasting business began its takedown of the newspaper industry.

Nowhere is this takedown more apparent than locally, where radio has become, by far, the advertising medium with the largest reach among Delaware Valley consumers.

"Radio advertising has been instrumental in our growth," says Kristin Smith the controller for Hatfield, Pennsylvania based World Wide Stereo. The iconic Delaware Valley retailer has been selling every imaginable type of home electronics from car stereos to home theatres since 1979.

"Many competitors have come and gone during our 40 years," adds Emily Cole, the company's Director of Marketing. She and Ms. Smith rattle off a long list of names including Tweeter, Silo, HiFi House, Circuit City, and Sixth Avenue.

"Radio has been the one advertising medium we have been using consistently all this time," says Ms. Smith.

Radio is hard-baked into the DNA of World Wide Stereo.  The company's founder and CEO, Bob Cole, first became hooked on electronics as a kid growing up in the 1950s. He remembers building his own radio with some copper wire and the wooden-spool from some sewing thread.