Beat depression, recession, retrenchment or global meltdown by working from home

Newsflash - Extraordinary Opportunity

2009-01-10T22:28:00.000-08:00

I was doing some research for my next planned post (watch this space - it will come up in a week or so), which will be about trading in options, futures and forex, when I came accross one of the rare sites that looks to me like a real and extraordinary opportunity.
Click Here! to take a look at it. I am going to try it out. I'll post results on this blog over the next few week.

2008-12-24T02:41:00.000-08:00

One Option: Multilevel Marketing

In the early 1990s I was running one of the biggest consultancies in my field in South Africa. Everything had been going exceptionally well and I had made a whole lot of financial commitments. As the political change happened in South Africa the economic situation started to change. Consultants who were not classified as “previously disadvantaged” found themselves in a less favourable position than we had been (which was only fair), private sector clients were concerned about the economic climate and public sector clients went through a time of uncertainty and inaction.

I saw the change coming and realised that just working harder at what I had been doing was like putting my head in the sand. I wasn’t going to stop what I was doing, because I enjoyed it and I wasn’t ready to give up on it but I decided that I needed to diversify and start creating alternatives for myself in case things went seriously wrong.

I started looking for opportunities and answered an advertisement in the local newspaper. Soon enough I had paid up the relatively small amount that I needed to pay (I can’t even remember what it was) and I was a member of Amway.

There is no doubt that Amway and some of the other multilevel marketing organisations (e.g. Herbalife) work for some people. The size and success of the organisations and all the pictures of successful participants that are shown to newbies leave no doubt about that. But it didn’t work for me. Nor for either of the two people I recruited, nor for one of my brothers or several friends who tried it independently. It fact the truth is I have never met anyone that it did work for.

For me there were several problems:

The need to be very publicly involved was not compatible with continuing with my day job;
It required much more time than I had been expecting and the times that I needed to spend didn’t suit me;
My wife and family were completely sceptical about the whole idea and didn’t like the products much;
But mainly, I was just very uncomfortable with the whole thing. I am a sceptic by nature, not a believer. I am a loner, not one of the boys. I didn’t like the hype and the need to be part of a team uncritically participating in a process that didn’t really make business sense to me.

If it had been 2008 I would have done some research on the web and come up with sites like “What's Wrong With Multi-Level Marketing?”, which would certainly have put me off.

As it is I lasted a couple of months, made no money at all, and then managed to cope with the disgrace of getting out. I spent some years trying out other possibilities, which I will describe in future posts, and then found a site that I found really helpful. You could Click Here to go to the site that helped me to make a choice, or Click Here to go straight to Profit Lance, make a small investment and start doing something that works!

2008-12-16T09:35:00.001-08:00

The Problem and the Solution

Well, there’s no doubt that the fat’s in the fire, to avoid more up to date and less family friendly statements about the fan!

Following the news that the United States Economy lost 533 000 jobs in November, a quick look at Google’s news pages on 16th December shows the following headlines for the past day:

From the UK:
“Laird Announces 4 500 job losses as sales slump”
“Electrolux blames recession for 3 000 job losses”

From India:
“65 500 job losses in export firms during August – October”
“Over 40 000 job losses due to economic meltdown”

From New Zealand:
“Rescue Plan for up to 70 000 job losses”

From South Africa:
“The number of formal retrenchment notices to permanent employees in all sectors topped 24 000 last week”

This is the nightmare that our parents lived through in the 1930s. And, though the news reports focus on the economic implications, ordinary people throughout the world face the hard practical consequences of working out what to do next. I have posted, below, a short news article about the consequences of the job losses for British workers.

In the 1930s many professionals and white collar workers, unable to find jobs, ended up on social security or doing menial jobs. Down the page I have posted an article giving rather traditional advice to people who find themselves without jobs because of the global crisis.

However in 2009 there is a wider range of alternatives open to the victims of layoffs.

Since the middle of the 1990s, for various reasons that I will later elaborate on I have been exploring many of these alternatives. Over the next few posts I will discuss several of them in detail.

For anyone who prefers to go straight to the conclusion I recommend you go to The Biz Review and take a look at the comprehensive and detailed review that you will find there, or better still Click Here to go straight to Profit Lance and make the best $77 investment of your life

2008-12-16T09:34:00.001-08:00

More need help as job losses soar

Increasing numbers of workers needed help after losing their job or house or suffering a pay cut because of the economic downturn, a union leader has announced.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said many people were facing redundancy for the first time in their lives because of the mounting job losses hitting British industry.
The problems were being compounded by benefit levels designed to deter "scroungers" which were way below what most people needed to pay bills, the TUC said.
"With unemployment due to exceed two million and possibly hit three, more than 1,500 people a week are losing their jobs," Mr Barber said.
The TUC and Citizens Advice have published new booklets aimed at helping people who lose their job, including information on how to claim benefits.
Citizens Advice head of communications Nigel Shattock said: "The current credit crunch, rising food and fuel costs and the increasing likeliness of recession are resulting in more people needing help and advice from the CAB service over money, benefits, employment, mortgage and redundancy problems."
Copyright © 2008 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

2008-12-16T09:32:00.001-08:00

The Realities and Unexpected Possibilities of Unemployment

Times are tough. Jobs are scarce and unemployment is up. According to U.S. Department of Labor reports, almost two million jobs have been eliminated in 2008, and almost four and one-half million are drawing unemployment insurance benefits (UIB). Perhaps you are a part of these statistics. Many people who never expected to be without a job are, in fact, jobless. However, employers are still hiring, workers are still retiring, and employees continue moving up or moving on.
Discouragement
Being without a job can be downright discouraging; maybe even depressing. It's not only a blow to the pocketbook, it's also a blow to one's ego. It is stressful, and you'll feel the pressure. All this is happening at a time when you don't want to deal with it, and can't quite handle it. Having to scramble to find employment can be a challenge in itself.
You will need to be gentle with yourself. You will need to discuss the situation with loved ones and close friends. However, you will also need to find the strength to take immediate and forceful action. You will need to swallow your pride and, if you're eligible, sign up for Unemployment Benefits as soon as possible.
Once you've started to deal with your loss, your pride, your sense of self worth, and all of the other issues you will be ready to move on. Of course this will be an ongoing process and you can't wait for resolution before you begin your quest for re-employment.
Having a Plan
Having a plan is essential, not only to your frame of mind, but also to provide the impetus, direction, goal, and persistence which will be required. Your plan does not have to be elaborate, but it should be written. Start by analyzing your strengths and weaknesses, your talents, skills and abilities. Write these down. Update your resume, and brush up on your interview techniques. Network, and contact your friends, colleagues and prior employers. See if you can get referrals or recommendations. Be sure to get Letters of Reference from your previous employers.
Make a list of potential employers. Don't necessarily limit your list to those that you are familiar with, or in your immediate locale, or in the industry in which you were most recently employed. Now may be the time to expand your employment horizons and consider employment in another field. More important than the industry, or type of business, is the match between your skills and the job requirements. Post your resume on line, although this works better in some industries than others. As an educator, I know that colleges are constantly looking for new instructors, especially part-timers. We place advertisements, and always check for resumes on line, although our primary resource is referrals.
Try to meet with potential employers in person whenever possible. They will want to "check you out," and most appreciate the level of interest shown in a personal appearance. Explore the on-line career-builder and employment sites (e.g., Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, HotJobs, even CraigsList), check the newspapers, and follow the trends. Not all leads are in the "classifieds," sometimes the information on the business page or in the media can be even more useful. You may have to examine some of the "less glamorous" jobs, and even consider a "step backwards" in pay or responsibility in order to position yourself for future growth.
You may want to consider returning to school or learning another profession. Your education will also benefit you as you will make new contacts, develop new perspectives, and perhaps find new career interests. The medical fields are some potential options, as are certain high-tech positions, security and law enforcement jobs, and environmental careers. Consider going into business for yourself, or a work-at-home option. Maybe there's a hobby or business opportunity you always thought would provide an income. Entrepreneurs are frequently highly motivated, greatly satisfied and successful.
Once you are aware of the range of possibilities you will feel more confident and empowered.
Each Situation is Different
There is no "cookbook" approach to dealing with the loss, challenges, and opportunities associated with unemployment. Some people are more prepared to deal with it than others. Some people are more resilient, some have resources to "tide them over," others have extensive networks of colleagues and friends. For some there are decent severance packages and re-employment assistance. A few even welcome the freedom and possibilities that unemployment brings.
Whatever your situation, don't withdraw or procrastinate, but get on with the business of exploring your options and re-inventing yourself.
Copyright © 2008, Dr. Ben A. Carlsen, MBA. All Rights Reserved Worldwide for all Media. You may reprint this article in your ezine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, leave my name and bio box intact, and you follow all of the EzineArticles Terms of Service for Publishers.
Ben A. Carlsen, Ed.D, MBA, is an experienced CEO and manager. Dr. Carlsen has over 30 years experience in management, consulting, and teaching. Currently the Head of the Business Department at Everest Institute, Hialeah, FL., he was Chairman of the Los Angeles County Productivity Managers Network and President of the Association for Systems Management (So. Calif. Chapter). Additional information can be obtained at http://drben.info/
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