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You may wonder why I write so much about bootstrapping and entrepreneuring?
I’m passionate about jobs and careers as well. But I think we can all agree, jobs are dependent on someone giving you one. And also, keeping you in it. What I want you to realize is that you can create a job for yourself that no one can take away from you. You can start your own business and employ yourself.
We all have to agree the job news is bleak and appears to be darkening:
New York based Employment Trends Index reports:“The U.S. economy has lost 1.9 million job and the declines in the index suggest job losses could very well surpass 3 million by mid-2009.” Business Journal adds “The report comes on the heels of Friday’s report from the Labor Department that said the economy shed 533,000 jobs in November — the largest monthly decline since December 1974. That brought the year’s total job losses to 1.9 million.” Economists also predict a decline in job pay.
Given the state of the economy, we all know some things we should be doing or trying to do: paying down our credit card debt; building a cash cushion. Although, for some of us, stretched like a rubber band to the breaking point as it is, that may be easier said than done.
But there are other alternatives: I’ve heard of some people taking on other, easier to get 2nd, part time jobs like delivery services or even throwing newspapers ( make that last a really short term fix as newspapers themselves are shrinking daily.)
Now, however, might be the perfect moment to start your own business. It can be after hours, after your day job, to start out. Think of it as a life raft, in case your boat ( your main day job) sinks.
We wrote about this cross roads before in A Fork In The Road: Career Path Or Entrepreneurship. One of the things we mentioned was how this could be such a wrenching decision, as you would be giving up so much security. Forget that. At this moment, everyone’s job outside of civil service, possibly teaching and a few other fields is about as stable as a slinky, headed down 5 flights of stairs…. you never know where it might land up, or when it will either cascade or fall to the bottom. So there really may not be much holding you back from starting up a 2nd revenue producing machine, in the form of your own business.
We’ve already reviewed with you how you can do this. I’ve done it. Many times. So can you.
How to Start an Online Business for $100 – Ramp Up As Needed Or Just For Surges
Start Your Own Small Business Using More Ingenuity, Less Cash
But, what I would like you to take away from this is that you have the power to create your own work situation, one that no one can take away from you. You can do this in a way that you have several streams of income. ( This blog for example, and the website it’s on, have income from advertising, from a job board and from advising other companies and associations about setting up their websites and online businesses and helping them execute on them.) That way, for example, if jobs are down, ads may be maintaining steady. If both are down, and you’ve established an expertise, you can sell that as a service. A going website has many potential ways to produce revenue. And so does a going business. You may have to take off the blinders, use your imagination and ingenuity, shift with the times and sell apple butter instead of apples, but that’s part of life as well as business. At least you will have a platform from which to maintain your revenues, in one form or another.
Think about it. Think of it as a life raft which you can build in your after hours time. You may need it sooner than you hope.
If you have work survival stories you’ve like to share, we’d love to hear them. Comment, please.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Amen to that! That’s exactly why I started my own business with Ardyss International. Jobs are not promised and I saw this opportunity as a way to recession proof my life. My husband was laid off and this business, although I’m only working it part-time, sustained us with the help of God. He’s back at work now but having that cushion was truely a blessing.
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Man I wish I was on vacation. After a few nice days it is supposed to snow again!!! Arrgghhh, when will it end
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Very Good post …. thanx guy…
In few words, the work that you do, represents you! I think…all the people in world are characterized by their job.