Social Security--Retirement--Jobs--Entrepreneurship--Unemployment Statistics

Social Security, established to assure some income during retirement years, is becoming an even more important resource in this new economy.  Unemployment statistics are not very accurate.  Many people eligible for early retirement have found themselves out of work--many for more than a year.  More than that, most have exhausted their state's unemployment benefits and are still not finding jobs that paid the kind of salaries they were earning before they left their previous employment.

Many are becoming "semi-retired"--taking early retirement and continuing to look for work--or, more importantly, finally becoming entrepreneurs.  It appears that this may be becoming the norm.  The "new economy" and the new jobs do not appear to be helping people born between 1943 and 1960--the group of people eligible for early retirement at 62 and who attain "full retirement age" on their birthday at age 66.

A recent article from Abby M. Locke and  TheLadders.com was entitled, "Facing Age Discimination as Young as 40"  The article went on to talk about the difficulty in "the new economy" for people 40 and above to find the kinds of jobs they are looking for.

Many in the 40+ age group have advanced degrees and have held high-paying positions in the job market.  Unfortunately, many may have expenses that match the income they are used to receiving.  It may take some time for adjustments to be made.

Social Security is designed to be flexible for early retirees who plan to continue bringing in income.  They have to report their income to Social Security and their benefits may be temporarily reduced when they earn over the limits set by Social Security until they reach "full retirement age."  In general, if there have been any benefit reductions due to earned income, those benefits will be restored after the person achieves full retirement age.

The good news for soon-to-be entrepreneurs is that Social Security will help cover expenses as we begin to grow our fledgling businesses.  We may need to take one or more contract, temporary, part-time, or lower-paying jobs than we are used to to bring in additional income and, depending on the economy and the areas we are focusing on in our entrepreneurship, we can soon be generating quality and sustaining income for our years of "semi-retirement."

The Emperor's New Clothes--Insight into the "New Economy"

The media says that there are many current signs of economic progress, low inflation, more jobs being created, people spending, the DOW Jones moving to over 11,000.  At the same time nation-wide unemployment remains at about 9.7%. (This is an artificial figure because it represents people actually claiming unemployment benefits.  When people exhaust their benefits or, after a year or more of not finding jobs, apply for Social Security or take a lower-paying job, they drop off the rolls of the unemployed.)

Recently I have encountered many people hired to work on the Census 2010.  Almost all of them are looking (and have been looking) for work and have been unable to find it.  It is good that the census gives them a temporary ("intermittent") job--similar to a substitute teacher, working when there is work to be done.

Hans Christian Andersen created a story about The Emperor's New Clothes.  A child looked at the emperor and said, ". . . but he isn't wearing anything."  The "new economy" (and economics in general and the current economic recovery in particular) is a lot like "the emperor's new clothes."  There is a lot of trust involved and everyone needs to see and believe in the same way for it to continue to operate.

There are a lot of reality checks that act like the child.  The FDIC is anticipating more bank failures this year.  Homes are still being foreclosed.  Many people are looking for work to replace incomes they used to have when, for whatever reason, they were laid off.  States are hurting for income because people haven't made enough money to pay what they used to pay in taxes.

Is this a pessimistic post?  I believe in seeing the glass "half full" rather than "half empty."  At the same time, if the glass is half full, it's important not to claim that the glass (or gas tank) entirely full and to expect to "go the distance" a full glass (or gas tank) would allow.

Multiple Streams of Income--Sources of Independence and Interdependence

In earlier posts I wrote about Robert Allen and Multiple Streams of Income.  Today I participated in Lynn Pierce's Success Blueprint Radio.  Lynn "interviewed herself" today.  Lynn spoke about multiple streams of income in a way I totally identified with.

Lynn spoke about the need to create income "while we are sleeping" "24/7" (24-hours per day, 7 days per week).  A great way to do this, for me, is to create information products and to offer them for sale over the Internet.  She also spoke of the need to create a stream of residual income--best coming from a successful Network Marketing business.  I've been involved in network marketing for many years and am now more selective about the businesses I involve myself with.  I am currently a representative for one network marketing business and look forward to building a steady stream of residual income.

Lynn also mentioned being involved in affiliate marketing programs.  I just renewed my affiliate status with Amazon Associates and can see the need to get involved in more programs whose products I already use and endorse.

Lynn had some very useful suggestions and I look forward to working with her to develop my own products in the near future.  I did sign-up for her Success Building Secrets program and look forward to learning more about her process.

Building productive streams of income by working with ideas I am passionate about makes perfect sense to me.  Once that is established I will have a good source of "independent" income though it will be based on interdependence--the sharing of information with people who find value in it and share the value in the form of referrals, repeated purchasing, memberships, and income.

It seems to me that I have many of the pieces in place and, by working with Lynn, I can bring the pieces together into an integrated whole.  That sounds like fun!!

Networking--Finding People for Jobs and Jobs for People

I received two contacts today from headhunters (recruiters).  One was an e-mail with a position the recruiter thought might be right for me.  The second was a telephone call asking my help in finding someone bilingual in English and French who might be interested in telemarketing for a Canadian technology company.

I network with companies who provide services I endorse (see http://www.joelmonty.net/information_links/information_links.htm).  I decided to add a job board to my joelmonty.wikispaces.com website.

I also went to LinkedIn and joined two groups who may have contacts which could help someone find that job.  For one of the groups I actually posted a link to my job board page.

Why help someone who is looking to find someone a job?  These days, so many people need jobs it only makes sense to help people who are looking to fill jobs.  In fact, people who have a job still may need contacts for a supplementary (or next) job.

I'm still looking for clients and, in the mean time, I'm happy to help others be more successful in their own jobs and in finding jobs for others.

Jobs in the New Economy--President Barack Obama's Messages

President Barack Obama, in his first State of the Union address last night made jobs a number one priority and asked the Senate for a job bill incorporating what the House has already proposed.  In the details below the headlines, President Obama spoke about creating new "green" jobs and talked about lots of construction, railroad, and nuclear jobs.  He did not say much about jobs for the experienced middle manager who won't have a new job to go to nor an old job to go back to.  Small Business can do much to create new jobs and the proposals of the Obama administration for Small Business are no where near as clear as the ideas for construction and energy jobs. 

President Obama stressed that he wanted to support Community Colleges--they will play a critical role in helping adults adjust to new jobs. 

A key area for growth for small businesses is for independent consultants with change management and training backgrounds to network in order to work with emerging technologies and to create the job training new employees will need for these jobs.  As they do that they can look for contracts or grants from the Federal government to provide appropriate training to help people step into these new jobs as they are created.

Steve Jobs, in promoting the new iPad, spoke about many of the innovations Apple has provided since 1976.  This kind of technology could well be the baseline for new training initiatives and for education in K-12, community college, and university systems.

Jobs--Taxes--Age--Government Contracts--Grants--Marketing

President Barack Obama spoke about jobs in Ohio today.  While the stimulus packages are designed to support job creation, existing limitations on selection of contractors sometimes create a "catch 22" in that the money for job creation does not go for job creation.

It is challenging to be in a position to bid on a government contract or to go for a government grant.  Many organizations promise to educate and to help would-be contractors or grant recipients for "nominal" fees of $5,000 or $7,500.  While government contracts or grants could certainly be higher than those fees, most start-ups or experienced workers laid off from their jobs cannot afford these "nominal tuitions."

What is a challenge is that, in today's economy, age, experience, and education often limit job options.  When employers are looking for employees in this economy, they often would like to find someone on the "low-end" of the experience and education spectrum who might be willing to work for an annual salary significantly less than the salaries needed by more senior employees who are trying to replace retirement funds or to support their families.

If some of those people could move to become part of a network of government contractors, they may actually be able to create jobs for themselves and their peers.

Perhaps some of the stimulus package needs to focus on helping start-up contractors and people with good ideas for grants to learn what they need to learn in order to be successful in working with the government on these contracts and grants.

Job Training Contracts for the New Economy

Today Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn announced a jobs initiative to provide job training for veterans with a special emphasis on "green" jobs.  This initiative is aligned with President Barack Obama's

A Vital Spark--Missing in the USA? in the World?

In the late 1800's when most Americans were farmers, there was a vital spark of energy in the food that was grown.  This vital spark was probably in most of the food grown around the world and no one knew that it was there.  In the beginning of the 2100s, much of our food--even organically grown food--is missing that vital spark.  Our bodies need supplements to get the bio-materials we need to be healthy.   There is lots of discussion over exactly what and how much and how to get it and that we need more to be healthy is not really in contention.

In the emerging USA economy, the "American Dream" of owning a home, raising a family, giving more to our children that their parents had, getting a college/university education for whoever wanted it is changing.  Part of how it is changing seems to be the elimination of the middle class--the people who worked toward the American Dream from World War II (1940s) to the present.  Many of the jobs are changing.  With the pressure to be a nation of consumers, debts are increasing while income is shrinking.  Recently we learned that there will not be a cost of living increase in Social Security for 2010.  "We have not had inflation."  Bills keep going up and more and more people are being laid off and forced to accept jobs with lower salaries.  Getting out of debt is getting more and more difficult and savings set aside in "401K" plans and in stocks and bonds keep dissolving (worse than disappearing).  Yes, the concept of "dollar cost averaging" may still exist--if you can wait 50 years or more for the stock to recover its lost value.

Real Estate investing seems to be riding on the wave of change.  Someone mentioned to me today that "everyone still needs a place to live, no matter what the economy."  That's certainly true.  It's also true that marriages continue to take place, babies continue to be born, people need to change houses for a variety of reasons.  Commercial Real Estate is the next area for concern in terms of people not being able to pay for the properties they have bought.  The end idea is still that Real Estate, in some form, is here to stay.  Of course, that is part of the issue, the form may be changing rapidly--especially in the next few years.

Even so, it's hard to see any "job security" these days.  Those out of work looking for a job are not assured how long the new job will last--or the company or organization providing the job.  When we have expenses, all of us need a positive cash flow to do more than cover our expenses.  We would also like to have a good way to save for our future and emergency needs.  Health care is important and we need to be able to afford the premiums.

Education is a vital part of learning how to do something--to learn from others who are successful can certainly eliminate much of the trial and error we would otherwise face in working something new.  There is high value in the right education.  Some education is expensive without providing lasting value.  At other times we have to look to find the lasting value that may not be obvious at first.

I don't regret my education, though what I know needs to be added to in order for me to continue to be successful in our emerging economy.  I have my own strengths--consulting with others and with businesses, providing training designed specifically to help someone learn to do something in a new way.  I have not yet been involved much in Real Estate or in Real Estate investing. 

I'm exploring what opportunities I see to learn more about how I can be successful in this arena.  I've been a protege of Robert Allen for several years, though lately, because of my commitment to classroom teaching, I haven't been able to take advantage of everything he offers.  I was also involved with Primerica for several years and, again, due to my family commitments and my commitment to teaching, I was not able to take full advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves through Primerica.

I am open to learn and believe that I have the "vital spark" I need to be very successful in the USA (and the world) today.  I also know that learning is a team sport and I am looking for great team members to help me learn what I need to learn and to help make a positive difference for the world we live in--and for our families and ourselves.

I keep working, exploring and learning.  Anyone want to join me?

Weighing Choices--Making Decisions--Assessing Results

We take these actions from earliest memory. Even babies are weighing choices--"do I do this or do that?"--making decisions--"I'll cry now because ..."--and assessing results--"I cried when I was uncomfortable (wet or hungry) and now I'm dry and full."

As we get older the weighing process becomes more complex as do the decisions and our assessment of results. Sometimes there are delays between our actions and the results we see. Have you ever decided to order something, then been disappointed in it when it arrived?

When we get much older, many of our choices and decisions and results have to do with health. My 94-year-old mother went to the eye doctor today who told her that a shot in her left eye would control the accumulation of blood caused by age-related wet macular degeneration. Mom loves to read and to use her eyes. While she knew the shot is painful (this was the sixth shot she's had over several years) she has already decided that, if something will help her preserve her sight, she'll go through the pain. She had the shot. Age-related macular degeneration doesn't get better. Treatments can at least slow down the vision loss and that was the choice she made today.

How do we weigh our daily choices. There are 168 hours in a week (24 x 7) and we get to choose how we'll use them. Most of us want to sleep some of them away. Some of us know the value of exercise in our lives and devote some of the hours to exercise. All of us want to eat some of the time, so we take time for that as well. Many of us work several hours a day. We want time for recreation--perhaps with our families. Whatever the choices, those are the hours we have to work with in any given week.

We make decisions, then assess the results--are we getting what we want? In some of my eating choices, I have chosen to eat (what or when or how much I eat) that caused me to gain three pounds this week. If I want to get that off, I have to change my eating and exercise choices this week and can check on the results a week from now.

Yesterday I read a newsletter article that talked about looking for work AGR ("after the great recession in 2007"). The author (at http://www.higheredjobs.com) said that we have to have a different approach to looking for work AGR. What we used to do no longer produces the same results that it did before AGR. (See the post about Spenser Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese.)

If you go to http://joelmonty.wikispaces.com/file/view/Meta-Learning-Affect+Models.PDF and go to slide 2, Shame-Affect-Decisions Model. It will give you a picture of some of what I am talking about here.

Social networking sites abound with the hope that people will connect with the right jobs (or dates or spouses or . . .) through their social networks. Some do and some don't.

All of us need to rethink our choices and decisions, the results I am assessing tell me that times have, indeed, changed and I (along with millions of others) need to change to keep up with the change.