Last week my husband’s company closed their doors. KahBlam! No warning, just gone. Oh, and did I mention, no severance at all…nada!!! Has this happened to you or someone you know? Recently?
Well, guess what. We are all in debt. Fully 95% of everyone you know is in debt. Sound bad? There’s more so keep reading. Basically all of us either: a) own our own business, b) work for someone else, or c) are unemployed, right? Let’s take a minute and break this down.
a) Own our own traditional business: Our sales are down! In fact, they are WAY down! We’ve had to lay off all or most of the employees, and are trying to keep the doors open by working the business every day ourselves. We can’t pay our vendors, can’t afford inventory and are struggling to pay the lease and utilities so we can stay open. Personal or family time is not even on the list!!!
b) Work for someone else: Ok, here’s the rub. Someone else is in control of our time and income. They are telling us what we are worth and how much time we have to give them. And here’s the best part; there’s absolutely no job security.
c) Unemployed: You are without a job. It’s scary, it’s humbling and you’re angry! Enter Uncle Sam. If you are lucky and logged enough time at your job you will receive limited, roughly half of what you used to make, and temporary benefits. If you are not so lucky you will get nothing at all. The job market is abysmal at best. I mean the appliance repair companies are laying off! Tough times are ahead. You start to wonder if finding yourself homeless is the next thing coming.
d) Retired:
Worried? Concerned? Now you are wondering, “Options, don’t I have options? Yes. There are always options, but there aren’t that many good ones. Some offer the chance to get right back into the rat race with the same lack of control. Now you ask, “What choices do I have other than hitting the job market? There ARE alternative options so why don’t many pursue them? Well, many of us are not taught to think outside the box. We are taught to follow the same tried and true path our parents and grandparents followed. We were told: Go to school! Get an education! Graduate and then find a job that can pay off your student loans! No job available? Keep looking! Still no job, then go back to school! It’s a viscous cycle that DOES NOT WORK!
I know it doesn’t work because I have seen my daughter get laid off three times in the last five years, going back to school and taking certification courses in between jobs. I have seen my son graduate from a prestigious college with no prospect for a job to follow. I have seen my family rise and fall on the economic roller coaster only to be found waiting in line at the bottom for an unemployment ticket so that we may all ride the market again. It’s disturbing, it’s terrifying, and it’s exhausting.
So now you want to hear about alternative options. Ok, but first you must be willing to accept that the world has changed. Our country’s current financial and economic climate does not support the business strategies and practices that have been in play for the past 10, 20, 30 or more years. We continue to follow the same path, do the same things, and then wonder why we aren’t getting ahead. That’s the definition of insanity. Yeah, so now that we are all on the same page, let’s explore the hottest alternative option on the planet at this time…Network Marketing! Hold on, hold on…stay in your seats. I know I dared to bring up the big ‘Taboo’. Remember, we are exploring alternatives to the job market chaos and we will address each of your questions and concerns.
To Be Continued….I have the flu 
