According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the average person will have 12-15 jobs over their lifetime. And Forbes magazine reckons everyone changes jobs approximately every 4.4 years.
Until the late 90s, when the dot com boom swelled to such a point that it burst and deflated, the idea that someone had more than 2 jobs in a lifetime was unacceptable. I know this is true because during job interviews I was viewed with skepticism – you had three jobs in the last 8 years, what’s wrong with you?
Downsizing wasn’t taken seriously. I lost a job because the company decided to fire a group of people. Their labor costs were too high and could be streamlined. So, the best business decision was to remove the extra people. Downsize. Try telling that to a human resources manager who has been with a company for 27 years and plans to retire with a gold watch.
Job security
There is no such thing. There never has been. Throughout the history of the United States, there have been corporations that lay off employees because they’re not needed and companies that close because of mismanagement.
Think about your job, right now. Whether you’re on the front line as a customer service rep or near the top as VP of Sales, the reason you have a job to go to in the morning is because your manager needs you there…right now. What will happen when your manager/boss is told that the budget has been cut by 10% and they’re responsible for adjusting personnel and workloads to meet the new budget? Trust me – I know! Someone (or a group of someones) will lose their job.
Now we’re in 2014 and layoffs, downsizing, corporate bankruptcy and personal financial ruin are normal. Vice Presidents, Managers, Supervisors and front line customer service reps all lost their jobs and have been struggling to find similar jobs. They’re taking any job that comes along right now, and some have been supplementing the lower income with savings – which means they will have little to nothing left in just a few short years.
I know – that’s my story.
I was told that I needed to get an education (because knowledge is power), find a job with good benefits (because working for someone else was more secure), and help others whenever possible (because that is what we, as faith living humans, are called to do).
Sounds good. Doesn’t work.
I was ‘forced' into being a business owner by experiencing bad working environments, dissatisfaction with inadequate processes, and overall dissatisfaction with lack of opportunities in the areas I was employed. Six years later, having survived the fear, the angst, the roller coaster of being a business owner that manages the finances, the sales, the projects, the team, the clients – I'm glad I was ‘forced' into this.
But I didn’t do it alone! On my own I would have failed quickly. My husband is my biggest fan, and during the lowest time of my business ownership (2013) he pushed and prodded and encouraged me to keep at it. Because he knew that I could, and would be successful. Why? Because he watched me surround myself with business people. I am the owner of the business, but I rely on others to help me move the business in the right direction. Having never been a business owner I didn’t know how to own one. I knew how to manage a business, but that’s different. Really. It is.
For my primary business, I joined a group of business owners in an international network that provide me with training, emotional support, and fulfillment partners. It is up to me to choose how to use this network. We have national conferences, weekly training meetings, online forums where we could help each other to run our businesses better.
I participate in a MasterMind group that meets twice a month on Google+ Hangout.. Since 2009 I was a member and now I facilitate the group. Just recently started another MasterMind group for business owners that meets 2x/month. Neither of these is hype, or built on pumping each other up like we're sales people. Both are very focused on helping each other set goals, meet or exceed those goals, share processes that work, get help with situations we find baffling, and more.
I don’t want a monetary partner to help me run my business. What I want, need, and have is a team of people that are focused on growing their business and are willing to share with me how they do it. It’s up to me to decide what I will do for my business. What works for one business owner may not work for me. The same applies when I share my own successes. What works for me might not work for you.
Something that will work is knowing that someone has your back. That you're not alone in your daily efforts to build a business.
Having begun my second business, I joined another network of successful business owners focused on growing their businesses. And I'm getting the same inspiration, motivation, training that I did for my primary business.
Thinking like a business owner is very different than like an employee. And, if you’re like me, you could sure use some other business owners to help you change your thinking so that your business will grow and you will be successful.
If you're ready to start your business, tap into a network of successful business owners, get training, learn how to actually run your business so you are successful, then you might be ready to check out how you can do it like I’m doing it:
1. Learn about a business that combines network marketing with online marketing. Own Your Own Online Business.
2. Not ready to jump in completely, but are interested in learning how to become ready? Educate Yourself.
