By Kevin Hagen, Contributing writer

The recession has hit the U.S. hard with people losing their jobs, their homes and their savings. But in the face of adversity, business opportunities have sprouted up in these three areas.

Job Losses

Layoffs mean the loss of jobs, but not the work that needs to be done. Temporary services increase substantially during a recession. Those who have been laid off need counseling, training and outplacement services. And the demand for training in specific job skills increases.

Businesses carefully watch their bottom line. They may need training in sales and marketing skills, customer service and public relations. Contractors can pick up a range of outsourced work, from accounting to customer service functions. Entrepreneurs can break into the market with cost-efficient ways to meet needs.

Displaced workers may choose to start their own businesses. They need various services including tax and legal advice, marketing and Web site design. People who work from home may need interior designers to help set up a home office.

When times are tough, the demand for security services also increases. As reported in the San Antonio Business Journal, Willie Ng sees the recession as the primary reason for the uptick in business for his company, Blue Armor Security Services. And when an entire business shuts down, there is machinery and equipment to be sold. Businesses that can efficiently buy and resell used items stand to make a profit.

Foreclosures

Real estate agents who sell foreclosure properties are busy, and preparing these properties for sale has opened up a range of opportunities.

Christopher Solomon points out on MSN.com that trash needs to be removed, pools need to be cleaned and maintained, and windows need to be boarded up.

Locksmiths are busy changing locks, and there are even businesses that paint dead grass to make it look fresh.

Cutting Back

Debt counseling and credit repair services are in demand.

As household incomes decline, people are forced to be more cost conscious. Anything that can be repaired or renovated more cheaply than it can be replaced is fair game. As reported in The Wall Street Journal, Jim McFarland, a third-generation cobbler in Lakeland, Fla., has been doing about 275 shoe repair jobs a week during the recession. And as reported by WISH TV, Toby Trump's business at Castleton Auto Repair in Indianapolis is up 25 percent. Winterizing homes, servicing heating and air conditioning systems to keep them operating efficiently, and investment in alternative energy systems take on a higher priority.

Tom Marine of The Daily Reflector quotes Donald Pack, who worked for 10 years at Strategic Marketing and Design, saying, "We are looking at a new consumer and a new economy. I believe we fractured the relationship between musts and wants."

Businesses that can seize the opportunity to meet the new needs will flourish, not only during the recession, but also in the future.