Dealing with unemployment

As the economy continues to collapse from all sides, job losses continue to mount; this is common during an economic downturn, but the question remains, will your job be secure or will you be the next one standing in the unemployment line? Truth is even during periods of optimum economic growth most employment is about as secure as a twenty year old rubber and a street corner hooker.

Do the wrong thing, even after years of reliable service and the next thing you know you are handed termination papers and walked to the door. Disagree with some over zealous supervisor, intent on sucking at the tit of corporate management and you end up setting in the unemployment office. No job is really ever secure but during difficult economic times this insecurity tends to be compounded several times. No matter how we look at it the best and most secure employment opportunities are those we create ourselves and have at least some matter of control over.

I spent the better of today driving fence posts and stringing barbed wire for a local land owner. The day before I watched several hours fade to memory as I cleaned out a barn and several horse stables, later that day I worked into the night painting the interior of a low rent apartment for a landlord with hopes of replacing lost tenants as soon as possible. Life as a freelance handyman may not be the ideal occupation for everyone but it does illustrate the fact that one can make a living without holding a job.

If you are a jack of all trades, you should have little trouble making a living working the handyman trade. A pickup truck with racks for the bed for hauling trash, an assortment of lawn and garden tools a step ladder and 20-foot extension ladder should be all you need to get started. The most complicated thing is trying to decide how much to charge for each job, I charge a flat fee of $12 per hour plus expenses, but you may find it more profitable to charge a higher rate for those jobs requiring a greater skill level to complete.

If you are currently seeking employment, facing a company layoff or just sick and tied of taking crap from ungrateful employers and backstabbing coworkers, why not become self-employed? Nothing beats being your own boss, and the feeling of independence and self-reliance can not be equaled by working for someone else. Being in business for yourself beats the heck out of having a “regular job” and should be looked at as yet another step in the direction of self-reliance.

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