Wage Slaves Unite
I'm seeing this growing trend and I'm not sure what to make of it. Everyone seems to be going into business for themselves.
Hey, I'm on the crest of that wave, too, so don't think I'm complaining or anything. But I can't help but speculate as to why this is happening. I have a theory, of course. It begins with "major corporations are sucking the life from us like giant money-vampires" and ends with "I'm tired of making a corporation rich while I get sub-standard service."
Can you imagine a world in which we are no longer slaves to the whims of some board of directors we could never hope to meet? If your energy provider were, say, a buddy of yours or you could get cable television from the guy across the street then wouldn't the world be that much closer to the nostalgic yester-year of the '50's, where everyone knew the person they did business with?
The reality of that is coming due. A friend of mine recently joined up with a network marketing group that's taking advantage of deregulation and now I can purchase electricity from a guy I grew up with. The juice still comes from the same place, of course, so I'm still forced to deal with what some investors think the price of a barrel of oil should be. But at least I have a face and name to complain about instead of this rather vague image of a bunch of fat white guys in suits sitting around a table and smoking cigars while sipping brandy.
And the cable TV thing... that's not quite accurate. See, it's not going to be cable TV but instead I'll be able to purchase programming one piece at a time online. And eventually you just know that someone will figure out a way to be their own network executive. I'm hoping that someone will be yours truly.
What's behind this whole trend of self-employment? I think it's just the fact that we're all exhausted, fed up and angry. We're tired of the "above the line" dynamic. It really is all about making the guy above you rich while you're the one dealing with mortgages, car payments, rent, and the ever increasing taxes.
Did you know that "middle class" didn't exist until the public gained access to the printing press in Europe? It's true... as soon as anyone could print anything they wanted they started printing "How-to" books that taught the reader how to improve his or her lot in life. Soon, the poor were able to learn skills that could earn them a living and now a new class emerged. Where once there was wealthy and poor there now stood the self-made crowd. Entrepreneurship caused a whole new classification of society.
And now we're seeing it happen again. And ironically I think it's once again because of free access to information.
The Internet changed everything. In the '80's, Age of Greed, he who had the college degree had the inside track to success. The '90's, though, saw an explosion of degreed professionals who were clamouring for jobs and, frankly, not finding them. Then, suddenly, the entrepreneur started making a bigger play. Why? Because as the '90's spun on the World Wide Web dug in its heals and allowed Joe Everybody to have access to any piece of information his whimsical heart could desire. Now you could learn everything from the basics of computer manufacturing to time-honored skills like masonry. You could specialize your knowledge by learning all about how to build custom wood furniture or have a broad palette that includes videography and web design.
The Internet is the digital equivalent of the Gutenberg Press.
So slowly people are starting to realize that if they're not happy with what their corporate overlords offer them then they can move on. It's risky, sure, but the aphorism goes "Fortune favors the bold." And any chance taken is one less regret (that one's mine).
Many people are starting businesses while working for someone else. Some are taking the bold and profound step of walking away from their job and risking it all on their new business. Others are happy enough to just earn a little side cash on eBay. But the writing is on the forum... people are fed up with working for someone else. Now they all want to work for themselves.
After the shock waves wear off I think we'll find that it's a better world when you can know the person you're buying from.
J. Kevin Tumlinson is the Editor of ViewOnline Magazine and a producer for Hat Digital Media. He is self-employed AND his own best customer.
Hey, I'm on the crest of that wave, too, so don't think I'm complaining or anything. But I can't help but speculate as to why this is happening. I have a theory, of course. It begins with "major corporations are sucking the life from us like giant money-vampires" and ends with "I'm tired of making a corporation rich while I get sub-standard service."
Can you imagine a world in which we are no longer slaves to the whims of some board of directors we could never hope to meet? If your energy provider were, say, a buddy of yours or you could get cable television from the guy across the street then wouldn't the world be that much closer to the nostalgic yester-year of the '50's, where everyone knew the person they did business with?
The reality of that is coming due. A friend of mine recently joined up with a network marketing group that's taking advantage of deregulation and now I can purchase electricity from a guy I grew up with. The juice still comes from the same place, of course, so I'm still forced to deal with what some investors think the price of a barrel of oil should be. But at least I have a face and name to complain about instead of this rather vague image of a bunch of fat white guys in suits sitting around a table and smoking cigars while sipping brandy.
And the cable TV thing... that's not quite accurate. See, it's not going to be cable TV but instead I'll be able to purchase programming one piece at a time online. And eventually you just know that someone will figure out a way to be their own network executive. I'm hoping that someone will be yours truly.
What's behind this whole trend of self-employment? I think it's just the fact that we're all exhausted, fed up and angry. We're tired of the "above the line" dynamic. It really is all about making the guy above you rich while you're the one dealing with mortgages, car payments, rent, and the ever increasing taxes.
Did you know that "middle class" didn't exist until the public gained access to the printing press in Europe? It's true... as soon as anyone could print anything they wanted they started printing "How-to" books that taught the reader how to improve his or her lot in life. Soon, the poor were able to learn skills that could earn them a living and now a new class emerged. Where once there was wealthy and poor there now stood the self-made crowd. Entrepreneurship caused a whole new classification of society.
And now we're seeing it happen again. And ironically I think it's once again because of free access to information.
The Internet changed everything. In the '80's, Age of Greed, he who had the college degree had the inside track to success. The '90's, though, saw an explosion of degreed professionals who were clamouring for jobs and, frankly, not finding them. Then, suddenly, the entrepreneur started making a bigger play. Why? Because as the '90's spun on the World Wide Web dug in its heals and allowed Joe Everybody to have access to any piece of information his whimsical heart could desire. Now you could learn everything from the basics of computer manufacturing to time-honored skills like masonry. You could specialize your knowledge by learning all about how to build custom wood furniture or have a broad palette that includes videography and web design.
The Internet is the digital equivalent of the Gutenberg Press.
So slowly people are starting to realize that if they're not happy with what their corporate overlords offer them then they can move on. It's risky, sure, but the aphorism goes "Fortune favors the bold." And any chance taken is one less regret (that one's mine).
Many people are starting businesses while working for someone else. Some are taking the bold and profound step of walking away from their job and risking it all on their new business. Others are happy enough to just earn a little side cash on eBay. But the writing is on the forum... people are fed up with working for someone else. Now they all want to work for themselves.
After the shock waves wear off I think we'll find that it's a better world when you can know the person you're buying from.
J. Kevin Tumlinson is the Editor of ViewOnline Magazine and a producer for Hat Digital Media. He is self-employed AND his own best customer.
posted by Unknown @ 7:30 AM
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