I get so many ideas and opportunities that I’m constantly mentally weeding through them to determine which to do and when. Kenneth Manesse shared this video clip in our Christian Micro-Entrepreneur’s FaceBook group, and I enjoyed it so much I wanted to share it here as well.
One of the points Dr Shannon Reece makes in the video suggest the first step in determining whether to pursue a particular idea is to first ask: “Does this align with my (five) highest priorities?” With this thought, I have taken time to identify my top five priorities I can use as my first line filter for weeding out opportunities and ideas to pursue.
These top five, in no particular order are:
Time – Will it completely take over my life? Do I have time to commit to this? Is it worthwhile enough to eliminate something else from my schedule so I can pursue this one?
Christ-centered ethics and beliefs – Is there anything about this idea or opportunity that will conflict with my personal ethics and belief system?
Money – Will this idea generate money? Will it pay for it’s self? Will it make a profit?
Passion & Pathway – Does this idea or opportunity align with the institutions, industries, populations, and concepts I am most passionate about? Does this idea or opportunity help create and/or maintain the pathway I am currently journeying on? Will it help me reach my goals? Does it keep me mobilized according to my purpose and God’s plan for my life?
Family & loved-ones – Will this idea and opportunity be something that is not only fulfilling for me, but also makes my family and loved ones happy to see prospering in my life?
These are my top five priorities, and I encourage you to create a list for yourself. Having these points pre-determined will help keep you headed in the right direction when you need to make a quick decision.
So, what are your top five priorities? Don’t stop at only thinking about what these might be; document them, post them, and use them.
Getting paid “under the table” seems like a good thing when it’s happening. Being told “this job is a 1099 job” often doesn’t seem like a big deal. People who have not worked in a while, desperate for any job they can find unknowingly accept these terms of work and pay as if it is a good thing, even when it probably is not.
Working as a 1099 employee isn’t a bad thing when it’s done right and when both parties know the risks and benefits. I’ve worked many 1099 jobs (or gigs) but with the awareness that I have to make a conscious effort to make sure I fund my own income protection insurance, health insurance as well as my retirement fund. Additionally, I must make sure I pay (or save money to pay) the federal, state, and self-employment income tax I will be assessed during tax season. I am likewise aware of the benefits of working as a 1099 employee, such as complete flexibility in how and where I do the work, ability to write-off tons of justifiable business expenses and the ability to negotiate pay and payment terms.
When you work as a 1099 employee, you cannot simply think about the monies the employer is presently putting in your hand. You should understand that if you get sick or injured there is no such thing as “sick pay” or “workers’ compensation” for you. If the work decreases and there is no longer a need for you, you will not be able to collect unemployment benefits. You, as the “business owner” have to think ahead; you have to think of how to protect your health, your long-term quality of life, and your personal finances.
Take a look at this video on the misclassification of employees:
While this video focuses on labor-intensive jobs, the same risks exist for other types of job opportunities as well. You could get carpal tunnel or some other repetitive strain injury as a result of work you’re doing; or you could get in a car accident while conducting work-related business. As a 1099 contract employee, the employer would not be responsible for any medical expenses you would incur and would most likely terminate the work contract with you and hire someone else to complete the job.
This is just a little something for you to think about…
I don’t want to shed a completely bad light on 1099 employment; like I said, I have taken many 1099 contractor positions. I do, however want you to know your rights, and I want you to be ready to responsibly exert with those rights as needed.
I sometimes see job ads claiming to be a 1099 contractor position that actually legally violates the terms of this employment status. Here are some examples from jobs found on craigslist:
This craigslist job posting violates independent contractor laws because the employer can not require the contractor to regularly report to work at set hours. The contractor must maintain control over his/her schedule.
Job: Part-Time Receptionist (foster city, CA) Posted: 2012-04-02
Terms: Hours starting at 25 hours per week, Monday through Friday, from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM or around that time frame.”
This craigslist job posting, while laying out many details and requirements of the job, has just enough flexibility to maintain it’s 1099 status; however they may be skimming the surface by naming the pay rate because 1099 contractors have the right to negotiate their own pay and payment schedules:
Job: Outreach Consultant for Educational Services Company $50 hour (Bay Area, CA) Post Date: 2012-03-19
Rate: $50 per hour ($25 per hour for Driving Time); Bonus potential!
Terms: Approximately 20 Hours per week (14 hrs. regular rate and 6 hrs. driving rate), 10 Months per year — No hours: 6/25-7/31 (summer), Thanksgiving Week, 2 Winter Holiday Weeks, Schedule: Flexible. Must be able to attend evening and weekend events.
This craigslist job posting seems to legitimately allow the contract employee with the flexibility he/she is legally entitled according to the law:
Job: Drapery/Blind/Shade Installer (San Jose south) Post Date: 2012-04-02
Terms: Work is part time to full time depending on the amount of work we have and your availability. We need someone who can work at least 3 days a week. We will schedule multiple jobs for you on days you agree to work for us. Your pay will be based on our window covering install price sheet…
Would you like me to evaluate your individual situation? Contact me here online. A small consultation fee may apply.
I’m hearing lots of chit-chatter about bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States so we can get Americans working again. I’m all for it and believe it is the right move to make. However, my friends, let’s not convince ourselves that we’re ready to waltz our way into these positions.
According to information explained in this article [U.S. manufacturing sees shortage of skilled factory workers], the United States has had a shortage of qualified manufacturing workers for quite some time. You can read the article in its entirety, but I want to highlights a few points from it so you can quickly see the challenges and opportunities facing our workforce.
Our current losses have NOT left a surplus of skilled factory workers who have the skills needed for today’s manufacturing careers. On the contrary there are many factory workers who have lost their jobs because their manufacturing skills are out dated.
The manufacturing industry does not have a shortage of workers who can run old-fashioned presses and lathes, but it does have a shortage of workers who can handle the new technology of the industry.
You can get the CNC skills needed by looking for training and/or degree programs in machine tool technology from a community college or vocational school. More ROPs should consider offering these courses to high schoolers as well. (see the listing below)
Just because the machinist needs to be more skilled does not mean this job is no longer a “shop job”. Machinists will still work in noisy and somewhat unclean conditions wearing uniforms that get a little dirty, but these blue-collar guys will make approximately $4/hour more than their white-collar counterparts.
In closing, I’d like to take some words straight from the original article’s section called “New Recruiting Tactics”. It says:
“The shortage has forced firms to adopt new tactics. To fill slots, a few manufacturers have turned to hiring candidates who are untrained but have the inclination to work with their hands…. ‘We knew that we were not going to find the people with the right skills right off the streets,’ said Mark Pringle, director of operations at the plant. “So we tried to find people with the right aptitudes.’”
So, there you have it all of you who look forward to the re-birth of manufacturing in the United States. We’ve got our work cut out for us. My recommendation to anyone remotely interested in getting into manufacturing is this: Don’t wait for the jobs to come back to your neighborhood before preparing for them. You are now informed of the challenges and opportunities ahead, so get in school and prepare now.
Here are a few schools and training centers in California that offer CNC coursework. If you know of any more, please let me know so I can add them to the list. You’ll need to brush up on those math (algebra), reading, and problem-solving skills to survive these courses.
As the job market grew tighter and tighter, employers came up with more ways to weed-out job candidates. One method employers used was to check your credit reports. The rationale they used was, if a person’s credit was bad they probably were not “trustworthy” enough to be employed in their company. Nearly 60% of employers began participating in this less-than-accurate practice, considering all of the factors in recent years that have caused many hard-working, trustworthy people to fall in their credit rating.
Well, CALIFORNIA (along with 6 other States) has banned this practice; and 19 more States are in progress of banning it as well. This is good news for millions of unemployed and under-employed individuals.
If any employer attempts to have you sign a release to run your credit report, make sure you tell them about the California credit check law, signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown in October 2011, and went into effect Jan. 1, 2012. This law protects MOST, but not all.
The county unemployment rate is 15.9% while Alameda County is 9.3%?
And..
The top 3 fastest growing jobs are:
Personal and Home Care Aides ($9.86/hour),
Information Security Analysts, Web Developers, and Computer Network Architect – ($36.11/hour)
And other personal care and Service Workers such as beauticians, barbers, disability care workers, and food service workers – (pay rate varies)
Looking at the unemployment rates and taking into account the dramatic difference between the rate of pay for the 3 top fastest growing jobs, you must notice that unless you’re interested in spending the time and money needed to gain very technical skills, the quickest route into the workforce appears to be some sort of personal care. Personal care jobs are often viewed as “low-skill” jobs; and as you can see from the rate of pay that these type jobs generally are low paying jobs as well. While you many not want to make a life-long career in such low-skill/low-pay jobs, I encourage you to go ahead and enter (or re-enter) the workforce through the door that is open.
Getting in the workforce will help you:
Develop even more skills (particularly soft-skills which employers say are 87.5% of almost every job).
Build your confidence level and your general feelings of usefulness.
Send a message to your family and friends that you are still workforce-minded, thereby minimizing the amount of time available to do random activities that really are low priority time-busters.
I have found, particularly in the 209 area code, the conditions of the job market have many people so despondent they’ve found solace in doing “random activities“. What I say to you is this: make those activities count for something. Use them to give you an edge into a new world or work. Unemployment benefits will not last forever. Just take a look at South Carolina’s new unemployment rules coming in 2012. Under these new rules, after a month of collecting benefits, the unemployed must now accept any offer for a job that pays at least 90 percent of what they used to earn. After 5 months, workers must accept a job that pays minimum wage, or $7.25 an hour. South Carolina’s unemployment rate has hovered around 9% for a few years (like California).
It won’t be long before other states plagued with high unemployment rates (like California) may look at similar alternatives. I can take a hint; can you?
I went to Safeway’s deli to order a sandwich the other day. I approached the countertop as the deli clerk said, “May I help you?” She was Hispanic, appeared to be about 30 years old, and had a strong accent. Since I work primarily with adult learners who are non-native English speakers, my deli clerk’s accent was not a challenge for me at all. I proceeded to order my custom-order sandwich only to find out that the deli clerk did not know the names of meats, cheeses, produce and the variety of breads in English. She was able to carry on a general conversation with me, using language skills she could have learned in a general English as a Second (ESL) language class where the topical lessons are around Life Skills. She, however, lacked the language skills to communicate verbally on something like wheat bread, soft roll, focaccia bread, cheddar cheese, or havarti cheese. She did not understand statements like “light mayo” or “extra pickles please”.
I felt for her and wished I could stay there long enough to do some workplace literacy vocabulary-building lessons, specially designed to prepare her to do well as a deli clerk. I know there is a real need to provide these types of literacy classes in my community. I can’t help but wonder how long this particular lady will be able to keep her job. I do know that Workplace Literacy classes can help her succeed.
Nearly 30 percent of employees readily concede being “too stressed to be effective” at work for at least five days in 2011.
Two-thirds of U.S. workers reported feeling fatigued and that they have no control over what happens in their workplace.
Due to current economic crisis, employees are being asked to do more work, work longer hours than they have in the past, and under more stress than they did in the past.
Such stress creates a domino effect:
Increased conflicts with co-workers
Increased difficulties balancing work and personal obligations
Increased worries about job security
Increased absenteeism,turnover, and productivity losses
So, what’s the good news? 24 percent say the increased stress does not have a negative impact on their job effectiveness.
Are you one who insists on working in isolation? True, there are some tasks that just work out better when a single person does it; but even with those, receiving input from others will usually result in a better end product. So, here are a few things you can expect from working collaboratively. By knowing these up-front you can get mentally prepared to cope with the stress of working in a team.
When participating in a collaborative work team…
you will probably feel like your work is being challenged.
you may have to defend your point of view.
you may feel confused at times.
you may watch or be involved in something that looks and feels like an argument.
you will learn just how differently people interpret a data, something that is said, and information that is read.
you may find yourself “shutting down” (but don’t do it).
you may have to take a deep breath and hang in there until the final outcome is reached.
So, why put yourself through all of this?
Collaborative teams produce the most innovative, holistically solid solutions to problems that occur in the course of business. Additionally, collaboration is the best way to address and resolve any systemic problems that may keep a business from being as profitable as it could be.
Something you can keep in mind is this: collaboration always happens between people, so good communication is vital to the success of the team. Good communication is the only way to clear up misconceptions and will make the difference between a successful project and an unprofitable use of time.
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Careful with this one protesters! Your latest plan to stop making your student loan payments, forcing them to default could come back to bite you in your golden years. Sallie and Fannie don’t mind waiting for their money.
I have paid (and am still paying) my share of student loans and I consider myself blessed because I am able to actually use the education I’m paying for. Contrary to some of the ideas of the Occupy Student Loans initiative, I do not believe higher education should be free. I do think people should REALLY consider the reality of the higher ed price tag before signing up. As one who is in education management, I wish I could convince our western society of how beneficial it is to get a hard-core, money-making skill and some work experience before pursuing the career of their passion – you know, the one that may or may not produce financial stability.
Here’s an informative video produced by InflationUS called “College Is A Scam”. It’s about 1 hour in length, very interesting and informative. While I DO NOT agree with everything said, I must say it is quite enlightening. I recommend you watch it with an open mind…
While I neither agree nor disagree with the Occupy Study Loan initiative, I do hope these young people understand the dicey risk they’re taking.
Article: Survey: U.S. Workers Feeling Overwrought and Unproductive – Latest News – Workforce
