Speaking today at the Red Herring's North American conference, the magazine publisher Alex Vieux (pictured), believes the U.S. is now in a midst of a recession and presses entrepreneurs to make the tough decisions of trimming their businesses by getting rid of unproductive employees.

"It's a sales driven world... When you have revenues, you solve most of your problems... Don't keep people who are not productive in time of recession... This is not the time for mercy, this is not the time for kids, there's no cry babies in this world... People needs to sell or die. Kill it!", said Red Herring's publisher, Alex Vieux.

Vieux had also another advice that should resonate to entrepreneurs world-wide,

"Don't tell me that you can not find a client at your door step. If you can not find a client at your door step, you are incompetent. Because there is always one person or 2 that you can sell to".