I just returned from a week-long conference with over 2000 independent business owners with businesses ranging in size from $500,000 to $100,000,000. Topics for discussion were marketing, increasing sales, reducing expenses, and hiring. Surprisingly, the vast majority are looking to hire NOW! But, there are a few things getting in their way: The uncertainty of the economy, government regulation and capricious behavior, and you, the unemployed worker seeking a new job.
We can all understand the hesitancy on the part of small business owners with all the bad press and statistics that are coming close to those of the Great Depression (the real unemployment rate, when you add in all those who have stopped looking for work and those who have taken any job, even at minimum wage is 17%). But, that is not what is really holding these entrepreneurs back. It’s you. They don’t trust you.
As a small business owner for over 30 years, I know exactly how they feel. While you may be disappointedt, even outraged by corporate, multinational businesses that have oursourced millions of jobs. And, as you may well notice, automation has eliminated more jobs that it has created. (See Jeremy Rifkin’s book, The End of Work, where he spells out the cost of automation to employment.)
And as you may well know, virtually ALL job creation for the last decade has come from small businesses. It is difficult for small business owners to understand how they the creators of jobs are also the object of such misplaced rage on the part of potential employees. Perhaps it’s because they feel lied to by job applicants. I heard a comedienne on line recently say that she couldn’t understand, “Why do you still want to hire me after all the lies I put in my resume?”
Small business owners (Yes, the government considers $100,000,000 businesses small businesses.) have, for the most part continued to hire domestically, provide excellent wages, and competitive benefit packages. Small business owners have countless problems that they need you to solve. (I discovered at least a half dozen job opportunities at the conference.) And they are, according the author/businessman Harvey MacKay, at least as secure as the best big businesses. Beside that, in many small businesses, you have the opportunity to see, in real time, exactly what your contribution is and how it makes a difference.
So, what’s missing? You are?
In future posts I’ll be explaining how to make the correct connections that will lead to rapid job change. I hope you follow along. The things I will be explaining really work. They have worked for hundreds of individuals in my small businesses and they will work for you. And, if you still want a position in a big business, I have dozens of proven strategies that work there too.
So, here is a key. Help small business owners overcome their fears. Help big business managers reduce their worries. When you do these things you’ll get job offers.
Tags: Harvey MacKay, hiring, job applicant, job change, job opportunities, looking for work