It’s Not Personal…

I think way too many of us have probably heard the phrase lately. “It’s just business. Don’t take it personally!” With the unemployment numbers seeming to go up every single day, there are a lot of  “business” decisions that are affecting everybody.  And, while it may be a solvent business decision for somebody at the top of the food chain, what about those that are left without their livelihood? It becomes very personal to the person who can’t pay their rent, or is having to choose between paying for food or utilities. Not a nice choice to have to make!

Especially if you are an already struggling single parent, the loss of a job can be absolutely devastating. And many of the single parents that I know are terrified of even considering self-employment. They say it isn’t secure enough, that they need that steady weekly or bi-weekly paycheck.  And if you are already living paycheck to paycheck, then losing even a week of pay can put you way behind.

Something to definitely consider, though; if your money is already so tight that losing a week’s pay will kill you financially, you should definitely consider starting some kind of side business. Even if it’s something you can manage only a few hours  a week, if it brings you a little bit of extra cash, then  do it!  Take that cash and save it, or pay off a little debt, or something.  Part of my point here is actually not only that you may need the extra cash, but that you could also start building up a clientele, just in case.

Another good point to make here too is that in today’s economy, do you really want the decisions about your future to fall to somebody else, whose sole concern is “the company,” and not you or your children? This person may feel absolutely terrible if they have to let you go…but they may still let you go. And in many cases, the decision maker does not even know you personally, increasing your chance of losing your sole source of income.

But if you start a little side business NOW, before you have to entirely replace your income, it could prove to be invaluable if you do lose your sole source of income.  And, if you do lose your job, you and your kids still have to eat! There is nothing wrong with working full time – but you may still need some ideas to tide you over. (Make sure you check out this post for some ideas.) I know that in my case, at least, I have found that I often make more money at the little side jobs I do. And, instead of only getting one paycheck, I get several.  So, if one client doesn’t have any work or runs out of money, then I can always move on to the next one.  My income does not depend solely on the whim of one person (who may not have ever even met me!) So, in a way, I may sometimes have 10 bosses…but if I lose one of them, I still have 9 more that still have to pay me! Added bonus: when people are mailing you checks on a weekly basis, you don’t have to wait on “payday” to officially come around. They may sometimes be small, but sometimes it’s nice to have several small checks to show up over the course of a week instead of having to just shuffle money around until payday.

Whatever you choose to do, good luck! But definitely think about your idea  of  job security, and how personal or impersonal it can become.  One paycheck, or 10? One person who decides how, when, and where you work, or you decide on schedules and locations that are convenient to both you and your clients? It’s up to you…