COOPERATION.
When we look at the events brought to us by the news media and the public media the main denominator is bad things are happening everywhere. Bad news seems to have more of a pull on our curiosity than good news does, I can’t deny that trait in myself, so it makes sense that most news outlets search for bad things to report on. Perhaps, because a lot of us don’t relate to our work as an adventure, information about bad things happening to others bring out emotions in us in a way broadening our life experiences. Micro Businesses, 1-7 people working together, are expected to be one of the major career choices in the years ahead. COVID-19 resulting in shutting down many hospitality businesses nudged many employees to become self-employed. Smart Phones and the Internet have made it easy to set up and manage the business end. The way the owners feel about their products and services will influence their success. I’m looking for people who see their chosen careers as adventures.
Reaching senior status has influenced my increased interest in politics. In a lot of ways I’m not surprised to see the Circus in Washington less cloaked from the public. Politicians have shown no qualms providing themselves A+ health insurance free for life and A+ retirement payments. They have yet to come up for a yes nod for Universal Insurance for the rest of us. I’m not going to spend a lot of time on listing what government is and isn’t doing for us. I’m looking for adventurers who can see creating a way to maximize the use of available marketing tools for all involved. In 1994 I wrote an essay on what I called, “My Views on the New World Association”. It was in response to finding it hard to convey my Vision verbally to the micro business owners who expressed interest in being part of the association. It’s a synapse of economic history and politics leading to the creation of NWA whose members’ had A1 ratings for honesty, quality of goods and services. If you are interested in being part of creating a safety net for micro business owners with integrity and honor read the essay presented below. For those of you who want to download the essay you can do so by becoming a subscriber to “The Sleeping Giant Awakes”
This Blog is about identifying the many challenges nature is throwing our way, no matter what you want to blame, and how successful different responses have or have not been. The aim is to share solutions among us, whether self-employed or employed. Micro Businesses are a major economic engine as a whole but have little recognition individually. However, our individual action does form the presentation of the whole. The reason I’m concentrating on nature’s challenges is because that is the most important arena we have to work on now. Of course the biggest obstacles are the many habits we have developed that contribute to the problems. The habits are obstacles because they require reprogramming by us. I’m sure as we gain true recognition of what we are really facing our willingness to reprogram will increase. Sharing the results of our success and failures in the present will help us maintain a livable future. It will also be a major job producer. Developing alternate energies, adding more safety features to buildings and replacing properties lost to increased natural disasters is already in the works. They are not going away rather, we are already recording more frequency and intensity of natural disastrous events.
Mixed in all of our lives’ as micro business owners are the political actions with regard to our personal rights and obligations. This starts at the local level and goes all the way to the federal government. There are other governing factors in the mix; religious organizations, large corporations, labor unions, etc. all working on getting their own needs met. There are millions of small businesses woven into the fabric of American business activities. In “The New Industrial State” Kenneth Galbraith points out that without small businesses big businesses wouldn’t be able to be profitable because small businesses don’t charge overtime hours.
Being a micro business owner requires more hours of work than your typical employee puts in. There is no paid sick leave or financial compensation when work is slow. In fact there isn’t much of a safety net available for self-employed people in general. I believe that we are approaching the time when more of us can see that the time of co-operation has arrived. Competitiveness has its place but not in areas of shared business requirements, e.g. advertising, insurance, referrals, financing to name a few.
By no means is my vision a Utopia. I don’t see mankind’s basic nature to change even if we manage to incorporate more practicality and logic into our lives. Nor do I see everyone coming on board with my Vision. I can see other associations being formed. I see the world in a hyper speed of change in every aspect of our lives. I’m looking for people that are not distracted by religious ideologies and political promises. I’m looking for People who respect that we are all unique in how we live our lives. I’m looking for people who believe in the power of co-operation and joint ventures. I’m looking for people who believe that we can provide for ourselves the tools to enhance our individual business successes. YES WE CAN