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Self-reliance, Part One

© Bob Ewing

Work has changed. Once you could feel secure. If you had a job, you had a job for Life. This was especially true if you had a profession or a career position. Today, downsizing and technology have created an insecure workforce. An insecure workforce means that people are less willing to reach out and lend a hand. In fact, they tend to entrench themselves and protect what is theirs. A 'circle the wagons" mentality appears. The employers can make different demands from their prospective and current employees.

I remember back in the early to mid 70s. Jobs were plentiful. They may not have been great jobs but they provided steady work and if you were unhappy, moving on was no problem. You just had to fill out a basic application form and if there were vacancies then you had a job. Now mind you these were not professional jobs, but factory and warehouse work, just the kind of work that has disappeared, low skill, high labour jobs. Today, you need a resume just to get an interview to work moving crates around a warehouse.

The wise course then as it is not was to learn a trade or get an education. If you wanted a good paying job. The problem is today that this may no longer be enough. People need a multitude of skills to survive and often face long hours just to earn enough to maintain home and family.

One response many people have made to this uncertain situation is to start their own business. Many of these businesses fail, and as they do so, they kill the dreams and hopes of the people who began them. One problem is that many of these businesses were begun out of desperation. Money was running out and something had to be done. This is not the best way to begin. An effective business requires planning and planning takes time and effort.

You must prepare a business plan which includes a sound marketing plan. You need to know who will buy what you plan to sell and how you can reach them. Many very small businesses, often referred to as microenterprises fail for the reasons stated above. This can be avoided. The first step is to dream. What do you really want to do? Is anyone doing this? If not, then start taking a closer look. This is where the business planning process begins.

Lets look at a few possibilities. Now, what if, you and two or three of your neighbours got together and decided to form a food coop, maybe operate a market garden, by using your combined land to grow selected crops, and setting up a booth on your street to sell the produce. What if your food coop decided to join or form a local farmers' market and expanded the operation to include other families on the street or a block or two over and maybe