We thought 2009 was bad, and it was. It is expected that 2010 is the year we find the bottom. There are three basic ways to carve your financial path:
- Rely on the government to help you through various services.
- Rely on an employer to take care of you, through salary and benefits.
- Create your own path.
If the route of self employment and entrepreneurship appeals to you, there are easy jobs to transition to. By easy, I am not suggesting that you will find quick success or immediate financial fulfillment. I am informing you that there may be few to no barriers to entry.
Speaking from experience, I was a W2’d employee and found myself out of a job in the blink of an eye. Although options were available, pursuing a path that put me in more control appealed to me immediately. Having the experience of working with the unemployed, it seemed natural to offer my services as an additional resource to help them be successful. Would I classify this as one of those easy jobs? In terms of how simple it was to file the paperwork and start my business, absolutely. What does this mean for you?
Regardless of how competitive an industry is, there is always room for one more competent, ethical, and honest provider. What skills do you have? Do you know your industry? Some of the easy jobs to transition into include realtor, fitness trainer, and most recently, internet marketer. The transferable skills required for these jobs are basic. Having the people skills to relate to your audience, the basic understanding of your industry, and the discipline to show up and work everyday are essential across the board.
I have to issue you a word of caution. I have a very good friend who is a graphic designer. He is extremely talented at his craft as his work is incredible. If prompted, he would likely agree that his services would fall into the classification of easy jobs. Yet, he sometimes fails at delivery and following through. This inconsistency has caused him more than a client or two.
If you are interested in blazing your own trail, there is a must read book by Michael Gerber titled “The E-Myth”. This book is highly encouraged for anyone considering self-employment. The “E” stands for entrepreneur and his argument is that you may be the world’s best graphic designer, or plumber or CPA. Yet to be successful, you have to know business. Marketing appropriately, knowing your receivables, monitoring your overhead, understanding credit and inventory, etc. is vital to a successful operation. Being self employed is invigorating. Calling them easy jobs may be a misnomer. As they are easy to start, but can be incredibly difficult to make successful.
