Every cloud has a silver lining. At least that’s what the proverbial they say! And when it comes to the economy that may well be the case.
Doing Business Gets More Difficult Every Day
Every day the government makes it harder for a person to start and build any kind of economically sound business. That’s not a political statement, at least not altogether. It is a bureaucratic statement.
Ask any business person and they will tell you the amount of paperwork required to satisfy various agencies is probably double today what it was ten years ago—if not more. Just all those inane and mostly nuisance provisions for privacy statements (much of my work is in the health field) is enough to drive me nuts. Well, maybe it isn 't that bad but it is a definite irritation and wastes a horrendous amout of time and money for individuals, businesses and other organizations.
Businesses Are Hesitant to Hire New Employees
But while this may be true of almost any organization, it is especially onerous when it comes to those hiring employees. It gets more and more expensive and complicated to hire help as time goes on. Currently the political upheaval related to health care, taxes and other issues only exacerbate this issue, making it extremely difficult to project costs into the months and years ahead.
Many small businesses who would like to consider hiring new workers balk at the idea in the face of bureaucratic red tape and unpredictable expenses they are faced at today. Even if they know it would be helpful in the short term they don’t know if it will pay in the long term.
Self-employment Opportunities Are Growing
But here is the silver lining. With businesses becoming more and more hesitant to hire employees outright, they are often quite open to using independent contractors. This means it is increasingly more likely that we can start, and operate successfully, small businesses that have no employees, especially one person businesses that cater to other businesses, small and large.
Whatever field of work you enjoy, the chances are there are opportunities for self-employment that exceed any available before. It may be well worth looking into, especially if you have joined the large group of the recently unemployed. And there are opportunities in new fields that are virtually untouched.
Why Not Start Working for Yourself Today?
Self-employment is not for everyone. But for many of us it is the only way to go. If you have thought about it but not been ready before to take the plunge, this may be exactly the right time to give it a try.
