Various studies show that at least 10% of the
American working population (14.4. to 18.6 million)
is self-employed. And that's increasing at approximately
5.7% annually.
Women and minorities (especially African-Americans
and Hispanics) show even higher increases in
self-employment, 5% and 10%, respectively, above
the national average.
Middle age and older people are more likely to be
self-employed than younger age groups. And the
incidence of self-employment increases in direct
proportion to educational attainment.
People in western states enjoy higher increases in
self-employment, 1.8% above the national average.
Nevada, Arizona and Texas lead the way in the West.
Georgia and Florida in the East are above the national
average.
We believe that the "de-industrialization" of the USA,
caused by the end of the 20th Century and its
Industrial Revolution, has forced many seasoned, older
workers to move from supposedly secure, lifelong
employment into self-employment.
Moreover, we believe that many women and minorities
ere sick and tired of waiting for significant employment
opportunities, finding that self-employment is the true
route to their prosperity and professional success.
Politicians dither and whine about the "jobless recovery,"
since new job formation is statistically unimpressive.
But they are oblivious to permanent self-employment
growth, incorrectly viewing self-employment as something to
do between jobs.
These math-challenged officials don't get it.We are
in an economic recovery thanks in large part to the
big growth in permanent self-employment.
While the most recent self-employment boom is due
to declining employment opportunity, we believe that
another, even larger self-employment boom is
underway, powered by Generation X'ers using
the Internet and, in many cases, advantageous
direct selling and network marketing opportunities.
73% of Americans use the Internet. If you plan to
succeed in any business today, employment or self-
employment, you must learn to use the Internet well.
Generation X'ers number 49.3 million. They are ages
28 to 39, although various analysts have slightly different
age definitions of this group. All agree, though, that this
population group is one step younger than the Baby Boomers.
X'ers were the first to grow up with high divorce
rates, computers, AIDS, latch key kids, legalized abortions,
the dotcom bust, the end of the Cold War, and MTV. They're
strong individualists, having a reluctance to conform.
They shop around before buying, using the Internet
to gather information in most cases. They are very
ethnically and racially diverse.
They were slandered as "slackers" years ago, since
they appeared to lack the materialistic drive of Baby
Boomers and the dull, plodding, conformist, corporate
habits of the Silent Generation, born between 1925 to
1942, an older group than the Baby Boomers.
Data show that X'ers are really not "slackers," but an
ambitious "unbeholden" generation, wanting to do things
their way-discarding the vocational paradigms of both
the Baby Boomers and The Silent Generation.
X'ers-a $1.1 trillion consumer market--include
marrieds (62%), minorities (37.9%), employed (81%),
and admirers of their parents (51%).
They prefer small, economical cars, marry later in life,
are very tech savvy (cell phones, computers, etc.), dislike
hype and self-importance and hate hypocrisy.
X'ers reject the core values of 20th Century corporate culture
of job security by sucking up, lifelong employment at one company, unquestioning company loyalty, doing exactly what they were told, and bowing down meekly to dim-witted coneheads holding lofty corporate titles.
The sun is setting on lifetime employment. The sun is rising
on self-employment. We are returning to the historical normalcy
of self-employment. Except for the Industrial Revolution,
self-employment has been historically normal. Lifelong employment
really has been a wretched historical abberation.
It's very risky to be employed. Dell is doubling its staff in India. Wal-Mart is creating tons of jobs in China. GM, Delphi and the auto unions are ready to strike a deal to buy out unionized auto workers for up to $140,000. American employees, get the hint?
So much for secure employment. Today's employers don't bother use phony, upbeat platitudes like "people make the difference." The new employee platitude for employees is, "Hasta La Vista, Baby."
Don't wait until the ax falls. Plan now to be self-employed,
then depart from the cubicle farm voluntarily at your convenience, not involuntarily at theirs.