For a little over a year now, I've been writing this blog about the Great Recession -- how it began, and how it is likely to proceed. Back then, I predicted a deflationary cascade, brought about by the collapse and panic surrounding the mortgage backed securities market. I believed that, as the bad debts that existed in the market were recognized, the effect would…

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We've just finished reviewing the changes occurring in employment today, and the prognosis is clear -- fewer full-time jobs with benefits, and more self-employment-like opportunities where people work for themselves. Coincidentally, Intuit (the people behind Quicken) have published a well-researched and footnoted report that aligns nicely with what we've covered here (click to read…

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In the last post, we talked about the changing nature of markets and marketing in the Great Recession. This time we'll focus in on one of the results of these changes: Desktop Manufacturing.

In the old days, it could cost upwards of $10,000 to $20,000 just to create the custom molds and dies required to produce an item in a factory. Then you had to cover the costs associated with prepping…

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We've been discussing how the Great Recession started out as a massive credit collapse, resulting in a deflationary cascade. With declining wealth, incomes and revenues, people and corporations have had to embrace some extreme cost-cutting measures. As a result, the significant advances in technology over the last couple of decades are now being deployed in ways that are drastically changing the employment landscape.

Employment is not the only aspect of our economy that is being…

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Over the last couple of weeks, we've been exploring the massive restructuring of employment occurring today -- how traditional, full-time jobs with benefits are disappearing, while various forms of self employment are rising. Confirming these trends is this report by CBS News, indicating that one third of all people working today are freelancing.

So what's…

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As more and more traditional, full-time jobs disappear, more and more people will find work as soloists (freelancers, independent contractors, etc.). As a result, a funny thing happens to companies: they become much more dynamic and fluid. Instead of spending a large amount of time and resources finding people with a perfect set of skills, contacts, and experience, companies can solve their immediate needs by contracting with individuals, small firms, and boutiques.

Consider the…

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Last post, we discussed how to get started in the new, self-employment-based careers of the Great Recession. In today's post, we'll describe this in more detail, along with the career paths available in this new environment. To get an idea of the new career ladder, let's explore a hypothetical worker who has reached the top of the traditional ladder, and show what it looks like to start over as a self-employed worker.

For this example, we'll use a CEO of a small…

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In prior posts, we have covered the massive restructuring occurring in our economy. We have recognized that millions of traditional jobs are gone, and not likely to return. We have predicted that the new jobs of tomorrow are likely to fall within a range of self-employment options. Today, we're going to start exploring these options in more detail, beginning with the entry level opportunities that exist in self-employment today.

Making the Employment-Model…

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In the last post, we discussed how traditional jobs were going away, or moving towards a flexible work force. Today we'll discuss the one segment of the employment spectrum that's destined to benefit from these trends -- the ranks of the self-employed.



Changing Self-Employment Options



Too often, when people think of the self-employed, they think of the latest media-glorified entrepreneur who took sensational risks, to become wildly wealthy and successful. And while… Continue

I recently saw the Great Depression film "The Grapes of Wrath," and while I had seen it before, this time I was reminded of what's going on in employment today. The movie starts off with Henry Fonda returning to his family farm after having been away for a few years, only to find his home abandoned. He soon learns that his family, as well as all of his Oklahoma neighbors, have been evicted and are leaving for the promise of jobs in California.



We then learn that the families in… Continue