Since 2001, we've posted 20,585 different business opportunities and ideas, so you're sure to find something here to inspire you!
Why You Should Start Your Own Biz Today
John was 53 when the bad news hit. His department was being moved offshore. Since joining the company eight years earlier, he had worked his way up to a solid position in middle management with a decent salary and great benefits. Now, he was out of a job.
Having spent his entire adult life in corporate positions, he knew he could go job hunting. But this was the fifth time he’d had a “secure” position shot out from under him, whether through downsizing, restructuring or other reorganization. With a wife and two teenagers to clothe and feed, he was no longerwilling to trust his future to this game of corporate roulette.
Across the country and around the world, legions of people are abandoning their dependence on big business and seeking independence through their own enterprises. Every month, about 1 million Americans go through some type of job change or loss, and increasingly they are deciding to start their own businesses.
In a recent report titled Work, Entrepreneurship and Opportunity in 21st Century America, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said, “Millions of Americans are embracing entrepreneurship by running their own small businesses, through independent contracting or direct selling.” The report also cited a recent Gallup poll finding that 61 percent of Americans now say they prefer to be their own bosses.
Security, which may come as a surprise, is a big reason behind the move. Only a generation or two ago, going into business for yourself was considered risky, and the safest route was to get a good job in a large firm. Back in the 1960s and ’70s, companies like IBM made “employment for life” the gold standard of job security.
Now, working for a traditional corporation has become the risky option. Working for yourself has become the new job security. “If I’m working for someone else, I’m trading time for money, but I’m not building any equity,” says Duncan MacPherson, co-founder and co-CEO of Pareto Systems, a consulting firm. “As an entrepreneur, I’m the master of my own destiny.”
Read more.
Photo by qute.
Related Businesses in the Directory
Related Posts
Related Resources
JJAstor on July 31st, 2008 3:09 pm
Great article Rich! I work with many first time entrepreneurs, and even though the popularity of entrepreneurship is growing, it’s amazing how emotionally straining it can be on first timers leaving their “secure” jobs. I actually just posted last night about sunk cost theory and commitment bias, which I think both play into the equation with these hesitant would-be entrepreneurs. I challenge those entrepreneurs with whom I work to “Find Their Crusade”, which I’ve observed over the years to be the main difference between entrepreneurial success and failure. When they do find their Crusade, it’s even easier to jump ship from the “secure” corporate job. http://jjastor.com/finding-your-crusade-the-difference-between-succeeding-and-failing
jaeda on August 1st, 2008 1:28 am
nice post, the story he has can inspire a lot.. there’s a lot u can turn to if you down in one certain situation, all you have to do is look on the brighter side.
Angela on August 1st, 2008 11:40 am
I really feel for him. I know security is such a nice feeling. It’s that feeling of security that allow people to feel comfortable financing a car if they need or buy a cellphone on contract. Then when it’s knocked out from under you, it’s like being kicked in the stomach.
On the other hand, at least it does open the opportunity to find a way to work for yourself. It’s a double edged sword, depending on the next steps taken.
cassy on August 1st, 2008 11:49 pm
It means we should not lost hope. If we lost our job now, it doesn’t mean we also lost our future, we should find a way to conquer the crisis we incounter.
I was sad when i can read news telling that a head of family was killing his self for he cannot longer feed his family. Why does it come that way? What will happend to his family now?
I dont know why some people, their options to escape is Death.
Leave a Reply