As this month’s Textile Rental went to press, the world confronted a new crisis in the Middle East that shows little sign of early resolution.
 
Get political
 
At minimum, you should brace for another round of energy-price hikes (a familiar refrain for 2006) as oil prices near $80 per barrel. What’s harder to gauge is the impact that events overseas could have on this November’s mid-term elections. Pollsters and pundits increasingly are predicting that change is possible, with the prospect of a leadership shift in both houses of Congress for the first time since ...