Filed under: Editorials | Tags: business opportuinities, careers, economic instability, economy, financial security, home business, home business reviews, home business testimonials, job benefits, job force, job market, job salary, job security, job stability, jobs, outsourcing, retirement, security, work force
From a young age, most of us are taught the importance of a strong work ethic, and what it means for our future. But what no one ever tells us is that sometimes a strong work ethic just isn’t enough.
In this society, our lives are centered around getting a “good” job. We’re put through years of school, internships and formal training in the hopes of landing that perfect position. In some cases, all that schooling and training pays off. But just what does a “perfect” job mean? A decent salary? Benefits? A short commute? Vacation time and sick days? A shiny gold watch and a pension check at the end of a rewarding career? In an attempt to discover the meaning of true security, I’m going to break down each of these job perks, and determine wheither or not they provide the kind of security we’re looking for.
Salary seems to be the most important aspect of any job. Yet the way the earning system is set up, most people will never be able to earn what they are truly worth. Aside from salary limitations such as minimum wage, inexperience and economic instability, most corporations also make use of a practice called salary-capping. This refers to the practice of capping or closing an employee’s salary off at a certain amount or level. When that employee has reached their salary cap, they are not allowed to earn any more than that set rate. This makes it nearly impossible for many employees in the corporate world to advance as far as they’d like to in their careers. For most, securing promotions or raises is hard enough. The thought of a company setting limits from the start on what can be earned is a scary one, and can easily take away one’s enthusiasm for working toward career goals.
Benefits are another important part of the equation. So important, in fact, that some will pass on a position that hs an ok salary but few or inadequate benefits. And then there are some that keep a job specifically for the benefits. The sad fact is that the benefits offered by most employers are not as extensive as employees and their families need. The often don’t cover the whole family or offer the kind of co-pay to make them worth while, yet they’re still as expensive as ever. Sadder still is the fact that in most cases it takes a full 3 to even a year to become eligible for some benefits packages, and once the job is goe, so are the benefits you spent all of your hard-earned money on. To me, there is no security in such a system.
No one ever plans to get laid off or fired, but as much as we plan for in life (weddings, the birth of our children, our children’s education, even our own deaths), it’s surprising how few people plan for just such a situation as losing their job. Imagine waking up one morning, going through the usual routines and commuting the 20 to 45 minutes to work, only to find that your department has been downsized or you are being let go. All of the reasons that made it a “good” job have vanished, leaving you without a way to make money and without coverage and stability for your family. What would YOU do without a back-up plan?
But we’re not quite done yet. If you’re like most people, vacation time is one of the few aspects of your job that you look forward to. Sadly, even being allowed to spend time with your family and friends is managed and dictated by someone else when you’re a member of the work force. With most jobs, employees have to request vacations days or time off. Everything, right down to the times of year and days you’re allow, are dictated by your boss. As if this wasn’t bad enough, employers even go so far as to tell you when and how often you’re allowed to be sick (and the amount of time allotted for this per year is usually a ridiculously low amount). It seems highly unfair and quite irrational to dictate such a thing as sick time or vacation, yet employers have been doing it for decades. Perhaps the most disturbing part of this concept (and the icing on the cake as far as inconveniencing employees) is that just because you request time off, doesn’t mean you’ll get it. This means potentially missing out on important holidays, occasions, events and get-togethers with family and friends. Job security is meant to establish a means of providing your family with a comfortable lifestyle. Well what good is job security if it keeps you from spending time with the family that you’re working so hard to support?
And in my analysis, I finally come to retirement, the light at the end of a very long tunnel. It seems amazing how much faith people put into retirement and the so-called plans and programs that employers have developed for their retirees. If you haven’t been following retirement statistics, then you may find it a surprise that the majority of Americans are not retiring until their 60’s. What happened to the days when a person was able to work 30 years and be eligible for retirement? It seems that now, with the combination of the Government constantly raising the social security eligibility age and corporations enacting penalties for retiring before 30 or 40 years, that Americans are doomed to work most of their lives, on up into the years that they should be enjoying with family. But the saddest part in my opinion is that the country and corporations do little to help out those who would and should be retiring. While seniors can enjoy the occasional discount, continuing education courses are as expensive as ever, and in the job market seniority hold little meaning these days. Those who should be retiring are now having to compete with younger and stronger job applicants who have more up-to-date knowledge and skills. It seems as if corporations no longer care about rewarding employees for their length of time with and service to the company. We’re even seeing situations where older, more experienced workers are being passed over for promotions and raises, and being forced to fall in line while younger, less experienced workers become their bosses. The dream of retirement is no more secure than any other aspect of a job, and where it used to be a given is now only a dream for most who still have families to feed and children to put through college.
The fact of the matter is, with the onrush of technology, automated systems and cheap options for outsourcing, employees are more expendable than ever. Chances are, there is a machine or automated system (or an employee in a far away country willing to take a much lower pay rate than you) to do just about every job out here. Knowing these, we all have to realize that there is little job security anymore. It used to be that if you knew a trade and you were good at it, that it could carry you through your entire career. Now, we’re having to learn a little bit of everything, train more and request less, just to compete with technology and outsourcing options. So I ask again, how secure is job security, really?
But there is a solution, and one that is available to everyone who’s willing to give it a try. Home business, regardless of what that business is, can be just the supplement you need to create a more secure future for your families. Not only can home business offer additional income that can be used to invest or put away for retirement, but it can also provide you with much-needed skills and opportunities to advance your current career (as far as it can be advanced, anyway). There are hundreds, if not thousands of options out there for those willing to give them a try. And I know that they can be risky, but when you think about it a home business (the time, money and effort one invests) is no more risky than a job. With both, there will likely be an investment of money, time and effort. But at least with home business, you are investing in yourself and not in a company to make someone else rich. At least with home business, there is opportunity to earn even when you’re not working, unlike most jobs where the income stops as soon as you stop working. And at least with home business, you can make our own schedule and hours, work as much or as little as you choose, and not have to worry about sudden layoffs or downsizing.
Home business can be one of the best back-up plans you’ll ever have, because the results are directly dependent on your efforts. This makes it much more stable than a job, and even more stable than investments and stock-trading. If you’ve never considered a home business, now may be the best time to do so. With the economy in flux, companies folding and more outsourcing than ever before, a home business could be the answer to your financial situation.
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Over the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at some of the most popular home business opportunities and matching them against our fool-proof system to help you find the RIGHT one for you! Join us often for home business reviews and testimonials so that you can get started on the path to TRUE financial security.
Filed under: Articles | Tags: advice, affiliate marketing, Amway, entrepreneurs, financial advice, financial freedom, financial security, home based business, home business, Ina Stanley, internet marketing, internet scams, job security, Mary Kay, MLM, work at home
by: Ina Stanley
August 12, 2007
Home based businesses have been around for a long time, even long before the internet gained the popularity it has today. Before MLM as we know it, there was Amway and Avon and Mary Kay. All reputable ways to earn a side income. But with the birth of similar opportunities and new business models operating primarily online, our society has been blanketed by a fear of such opportunities, which we are now calling the “home based business phobia.”
While there are many reputable business opportunities online, there are just as many “scams” that have been grouped into the same category. These are usually services in exchange for post-payment (which never comes) or pyramid-type schemes that contain no real products, only the opportunity to earn from recruiting others. Unfortunately, as with most any situation, the negative starts to outweigh the positive. Before you know it, all home based businesses are overshadowed by the reputation of the few actual scams.
I believe that the fear of home based business stems from this fact, as well as others. While there are many potential customers who fear the scams without knowing what is and what isn’t, there are also those who fear anything that is different from the norm in terms of earning a living. Lets face it, society raises us to work hard at a physical job. Even from youth, we are trained to do well in school all the way up through in the hopes of securing a decent job. It is what our parents did, and their parents, and all of our ancestors all the way back through time. So when the proposition of earning a decent living without working at a physical job makes its way into the minds of society’s leaders, it is viewed in a negative light. This, I feel, is because we as humans naturally fear anything that is different, or that we don’t understand. This is not how we’ve been raised, this isn’t how anyone has every earned an income before (not a full-time income, anyway). Therefore, it is not easily accepted.
The truth is that entrepreneurship is what drives our economy. Even the largest of corporations started out as mom&pop stores or small-town restaurants. Small business and entrepreneurship help to balance out the hold that “big business” has on our economy. Without them, large corporations would have no competition and therefore no standards to uphold.
So exactly what is the biggest fear surrounding any home based business opportunity? I have a theory, and it involves initial start-up. Most individuals are afraid of losing the money they would have to invest. They are afraid of the risk involved. But what is so bad about risk? Don’t most things in life involve some type of risk? The old adage “Nothing ventured, nothing gained…” comes to mind. If we never step out of the box that society has created, we will never know what could be. We will never experience different or better. We will, in short, become the one thing that our species fears the most…stagnant! Our world’s best inventions (products and services like electricity, stop lights and air travel) came from forward-thinking individuals who dared to look outside of the “norm” for better and more efficient ways of living. Without those who embraced this mindset, we would still be living as Neanderthals, barely using fire to heat caves and cook food (and even this was forward thinking for the time).
The risks we take should always be calculated, to an extent. We should consider heavily the pro’s and cons of our decisions. And the decisions we make should not be anything that would hurt us, injure our loved ones, or cause us to go completely and utterly broke. Well, home business doesn’t do any of these things, does it? It does not threaten or harm us or our families, and if we are researching and investing wisely, it should not expend all of our income either. Home business in its original state was not meant to ruin financial situations, but to improve them, either by supplementing the existing income or surpassing and replacing it. So the fear is simply losing a few hundred, or possibly $1000 or more. A valid and understandable fear from those who work hard for every cent they have. However, part of the point of earning money is to put it to work for us. This is done by investing in programs (whether through stocks, money market accounts, CD’s, savings accounts that accrue interest, online businesses or otherwise) that allow us to earn more than we’ve invested. When you put your money to work for you, you have a better chance of achieving financial security, which is what we are all working toward.
So then, should a person go out and join every money-making opportunity they can find? Of course not! Investing or starting a home business is a wise decision, but should be done with care. It is always a good idea to do ample research on the program(s) you are interested in joining. You must consider everything from the legal aspects to the products being promoted. And as an important side note, you should always investigate the person or entity that has introduced the opportunity to you. Often, this person will become your “sponsor” in the program, and the one responsible for guiding you and helping you to get going in the right directing. As disturbing at it is, there are some “sponsors” who are not fit to be so. The do little, if anything, to help their customers or affiliates. People like this unfortunately give their parent companies a less than desirable reputation. Most distributors work independently of their parent company. While there are certain regulations to follow, they are not limited in the ways they can advertise or market. For this reason, I recommend that when researching home business opportunities, you maintain an open mind and do just as much research (if not more) on the individual who will become your sponsor.
Lets talk about some of the other fears surrounding home based business. One of the most common ones is that the opportunity is illegal; not approved by state and government regulations. The easiest way to circumvent this issue is to check with local and state officials (usually the State Attorney General). If you are interested in a program, contact your state official to learn the requirements and restrictions for involvement in a home based business. And of course, one you join, take the necessary steps to report your income to the IRS, and to register your business with the federal government.
There are other less verbalized fears that pertain to our own abilities. Many individuals feel that they do not have what it takes to run a home business. They may feel they lack experienced in the industry, or lack skills necessary for marketing and customer service. The majority of home business programs in existence today offer some type of training and support. While some programs are better than others (according to current and past members or affiliates), it is not hard to gain the skills and experience necessary to succeed. If you are interested in joining a home business, be sure that your research includes an investigation of the company’s (and sponsor’s) training regimen and support. Join only if you are satisfied that you’ll receive the individual help you need for your skill level and situation. Along with this, many fear that they will need large budgets for advertising their business. This issue too can be solved by the training offered with the opportunity. There are several methods of advertising for free that are very effective (though they can be a bit time-consuming). Your chosen home business program should know a good number of these methods and be willing to train you on these methods also. Be sure to ask if they include this in their training and support. If they do not, move on to researching another opportunity.
One of the last fears I have encountered is the investment of time. Individuals fear that operating a home business will take too much of their time; time away from their jobs, school, family or hobbies. The point of working from home (however you choose to do it) is to allow you more time at home to spend of your family or hobbies. A regular job in the workforce takes more time from these interests than a home business would. While jobs and school may seem secure, they do not allow you the freedom that you so rightly deserve. Home business programs seek to solve this problem by giving you the freedom to set your own hours. Also, home businesses, while they may take a bit more time in the beginning for initial set-up and marketing, can eventually run from just 2 or 3 hours of effort per day. Imagine earning more from a sale in one day than you would earn in 2 weeks or even a month from your job, and from 5 less hours of work? Is that not what we ultimately strive for? Time is important, especially because it is not guaranteed to any of us. The best way to maximize your time here on earth is to do what you can to enjoy more of it. A home based business can bring about an opportunity for freedom that most of us never though possible, thanks to society. Why not go for it, when there is so little to lose?
While all of the fears discussed are valid, none are so disheartening as the possibility of no future stability, no security or no retirement. More than anything, I fear having to come out of retirement to make ends meet. I fear having to compete with a younger, sharper and more technologically-inclined generation for a job at an older age. I fear not being able to retire when I want because I have not built up a deep-enough income or secure-enough future. I fear my children not being able to go to college if they want, or not having enough to provide everything they want and need. I fear working to the point where I have missed out on life’s most precious moments…my children growing up, my relationship with my spouse, my grandchildren and so on. Most of all, I fear passing on nothing but debts to my loved ones. For me, these fears far outweigh the possibility of losing money or learning something new. It is for this reason that I became involved with the home business industry. I am young, and as so many say have my whole life ahead of me. I would like the personal and financial freedom to enjoy some of it. I would like to start off my marriage on a solid and secure plane. I would like to stay home with my children when they are born. I would like to see them off to school each day (or even home-school them), teach them new things, attend their performances and games, and be there to encourage their individuality. I would like to have something to pass on to each of them (a home, a substantial inheritance, a car…a future). I don’t want my family to “want” for anything. My home based business is allowing me to do all of those things and more!
A few thoughts to those who are considering a home business of their own.
The ugly truth is that today’s economy and our workforce do not provide financial security. Your position can be terminated or passed on to another at any time, and without any notice. Most businesses, especially large corporations, focus only on the needs of the business. If you, your pay grade or your skills stand in the way of these needs, you pose a threat and will be removed without much consideration. And unfortunately, this type of treatment is legal in most states. Does this sound like security to you? Wouldn’t you rather have control over how your family is allowed to live than a corporation that cares little about them? Wouldn’t you want a back-up plan in case this happens to you? It is another sad truth that most individuals live and think inside their own little bubbles. They see unfortunate things happening all around them, but never stop to think that it could happen to them at any time. None of us are immune to such occurrences. None of us in invulnerable to the trials and tribulations of life. It may be someone else, but it can always just as easily be us! One more thought…if a major situation came about the required a large amount of money to solve (a fire, your only vehicle breaking down, a flood, a break-in or theft, even a baby being born), would you be able to handle it without depleting your life’s savings? Would you be able to take care of it immediately? Or would it take months to save up enough?
A home business can be a great addition to any lifestyle. Most do not take exceeding amounts of time to work, most do not rob our wallets of of unbelievable amounts, and they allow us to earn enough to greatly supplement our current incomes, even replace them! With so many more pro’s than cons, why shouldn’t you consider a home based business of your own?
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Ina Stanley is a small business owner, marketing specialist and entrepreneur. She currently owns and operates several successful business ventures, including home business programs. Expertise gathered through several years of training and experience in business, marketing, investing and home business. More information on Ina can be found by visiting her personal website.
Contacting Ina Stanley:
Website: www.top-edcgold-mentor.com
Email: ina.stanley@gmail.com
