Posts Tagged ‘Economy’

The Self-employment paradigm shift – Surviving today’s economy

It has been a tough year for many of us including the small business folk. As I look around my local neighborhoods I see many empty buildings and lots once occupied by startups and local residents turning their dreams into reality. It saddens me to see this as I know firsthand how difficult it is to maintain a business. Many of these small stores were built on entrepreneurial visions of a brighter future for their communities and families.  

The recession has affected us globally and has trickled down into the fibers of our country. The places where big ideas started out in small garages have been challenged with the overbearing need for survival.  At some point the economy needs to turn around and with this turn around will come new ideas and business innovations as people move from just being employed to being self-employed.

There are two sides to the recent economic challenges. As we have all seen the downward spiral it is essential that we look to the positive side. There has been a new spurt in small business startups. With many people unemployed job seekers are turning into job creators.   A lot of us including myself have sought other means besides being subjected to the corporate windfall to survive. Turning an idea into reality is never an easy task but with the right amount of persistence and motivation anything is possible.

It is always hard to take the first step as many of us don’t know which direction to go in. Take things in stride, do something you love, and do it well.  Cultivate something you enjoy into something that can sustain a business. Make the New Year a new tomorrow for your life and career.

Economic Turbulence – How to keep your Head Above Water with a New Venture.

It’s been a while since we last posted here at Foilball. Personal responsibilities have taken over for the last few months. As I am sure many of you can relate, we have felt under the gun over the last year with the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, economic crisis, and more often than not just the little things in life that slow you down.

It has been a challenging time for American and global economies. We have pushed and pulled ourselves in every direction looking for change and the promise of a new tomorrow. Many of us have taken to the solo route, using our skills and abilities to push forward during these turbulent times.

What can you do to stay afloat in today’s kill or be killed atmosphere? We read a ton about people popping up with home business, get rich quick schemes, infomercials, “as seen on TV” ads, etc. How do we decipher what really works and what is just another scam hitting the ever growing e-shelf of business.

Here are a few steps to protect you against the arsenal of rip-offs, internet scams, and get rich quick methods.

1. Use your head – Nothing beats common sense. If it feels too good to be true it probably is. I was watching an infomercial on Internet Millions the other day and I said there has to be a catch here. First off, if these guys are making so much why are they selling their secrets, even more so, why are they selling them for $30 on TV? Most of these skits are selling a product that is making these people the millions they are talking about!

2. Hard Work – The sound of making millions at the press of a button is quite alluring. I press plenty of buttons every day and I can attest that there is no easy way to get rich. All the people I know that are well off or have above average incomes worked damn hard to get there. Nothing beats hard work and persistence. Find something you love and stick with it! Many people turn their dreams into reality.

3. Research – Watch out for people asking you for your hard earned money whether it is a small or large investment. Most reputable business ideas have proven business practices that got them there in the first place. Think twice when these websites and salesman are doing just that selling you! Is it hard to believe that you can buy your financial freedom for a small purchase of an e-book? Sounds too good to be true… usually it is. Do your research and if you are genuinely interested in a new business take the time to dig deep and find the right methods that have worked for other people.

You may have notices that this post doesn’t tell you what to do but rather how to approach a new business. Having the right mindset in your next venture might just save you a long drawn out headache in the end. As with any business using common sense, hard work, and doing your research can indeed yield you better results than jumping off the bridge into a new project you know nothing about until you make an investment.

Thoughts from an Undecided Voter

As an undecided voter in this election there is much debate within my circle of friends and family as to which way each of us is leaning. During a turbulent time in the American economy an election has never had such an impact on a country that is standing on its toes.

We have heard the debates, the stories, the hogwash, and political slanders. What are we to believe? Is Barack Obama really going to make the changes we need as a unified country or is he just selling us on what we want to hear? Is he really a man of the people that wants to do what’s right in the eye of the people or is he just a democratic pawn. Rumors and facts all mixed together in one giant wheelbarrow of mulch.

During these times people want to hear of change, thought leadership, patience, virtue, and anything that supports their feelings toward today’s issues. Salespeople do just that, they tell us what they want us to hear regardless of what is truth and reality. They sell you on what hits home the hardest.

McCain has historically supported many of Bush’s bills over the last eight years. Myself not being a political activist or honestly a dedicated follower of all of Bush’s bills cannot say if they were inherently damaging or not besides what I hear through the media. What I do know is that the position we are in today calls for action. Which candidate will act on their statements and make the needed changes to drive our economy to the top once again?

We as citizens must remember that we chose to elect Bush for his first term and then again chose to re-elect him for a second term. Although the final decisions come from our electoral college we did have a say over the last eight years as to the direction of this country. So did all the CEO’s and financial institutions of America. They speak of fundamental change over and over again. Hasn’t it historically been the position of democrats to take things slow and steady? Once a new presidency is in place will words and promises succumb to the desires of the people who actually put them there in the first place, the other democrats and republicans, the financial institutions supporting them, the people that put the money behind the mouth of the candidates….

The decision is not clear to me yet but soon I will be forced to make a decision that will affect my family and me for a long time to come. I am not sold on being sold by someone and I am not in support of policy that has put us where we are today for another two terms either.