The belief in much of American society is that there is no absolute truth. So right and wrong are relative to what is specific to your personal situation; and if there are problems with how people behave and believe, then the country follows that track of thought and applicable behavior patterns.

So, where does the business world go from here? The C-level suite must shift into gear now more than ever to brace organizations for the massive costs of insurance and health care coverage due to trigger by 2014. Over the next year, companies are going to scramble to get their employees covered, push them to an exchange, or let them go into the ranks of the unemployed.

According to the New American, within hours of the re-election of President Barack Obama, manufacturers and other employers announced massive layoffs. The reason is the high cost of complying with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the anticipated economic stagnation that may accompany another four years of the president's plans for centralization. With limited chances that the expensive health care mandate can be overturned, and with House Speaker John Boehner claiming the bill is now the "law of the land," employers must find a way to defray the cost of doing business. Their answer: layoffs.

And a huge new concern looming on the near horizon is the "fiscal cliff." According to the Los Angeles Times, so worried are major U.S. corporations about the potential fall from the cliff—the combination of expiring tax cuts and automatic federal spending reductions at the start of next year—that they have mounted a full-court press on the White House and Congress to avert the potential hit of more than $500 billion to the economy next year.

Additionally, an end to the payroll tax holiday means the average worker would take home about $1,000 less next year. That translates to about a $100-billion loss for the economy, according to the LA Times. Economists anticipate policymakers also aren't likely to renew federal extended unemployment benefits, draining as much as $40 billion more from the economy next year. Some of the CEOs have been speaking out in recent days, calling on Obama and lawmakers to act now to avoid the fiscal cliff. "Every day the fiscal cliff remains unresolved is one more day of uncertainty that's holding back both America's economic recovery and American business," said Robert McDonald, chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble Company.

The next few years are going to be challenging for everyone. Here are a few tips to manage your own fiscal cliff:

1.) Arrange a banking relationship that provides multiple options for financing equipment and other resources, credit options, cash accounts, and any other special treatment they can provide for expanding your business. Your personal banker should be someone who understands what you do and how you do it, and is able to pull rabbits out of a hat when you need him to perform economic magic.

2.) Learn to go lean and mean. Your CFO should recognize the difference between wants and needs in your organization. Granted, if the money is there to provide a few extra perks for the company and your staff, by all means treat yourself to some 'feel good' options once in a while just to keep the morale high. But practice frugality when it comes to running your business.

3.) Seek advice from wise counsel—mentors, attorneys, spiritual advisors like ministers or counselors, and anyone else you trust that would have your best interest at heart. You don't need sycophants; you need people who can speak honestly and truthfully and who share your desire for success, even if what you hear may not be what you want to hear.

4.) Be decisive. People who are wobbly on their decisions are typically unsure about their advice, and often they have not researched a situation enough to make wise choices. Poor planning results in poor results, which has the potential to be catastrophic. The Old Testament Book of Proverbs says that "a double minded man is unstable in all his ways." But once you have all the facts with solid research and information, and your feel confident about your direction, then choose to move.

5.) Work out a plan; then work your plan. Nothing says confusion more than not setting goals or  creating a road map to your future. Architects design buildings by developing blue prints, for either a house or a skyscraper. Nothing gets built without one. Create your own business blue print, then go to work to make it happen. Oh, and by the way, have a Plan B in your back pocket in case your plans get changed due to "construction delays."

Business is ever changing. One day you are flying high, and the next day an auditor is banging on your door wanting to open the books, or a disgruntled customer is screaming at you, or employees seem to be screaming or bailing on you. Your tipping point may be coming soon, or it may never come. The challenges to stay afloat never go away. Success is never easy. But, despite what any politician has claimed, you can build it.