I’m taking a poll. Does this excite you or scare you? The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that in another five years only 50% of the American workforce will be employees.
It’s a statistic I heard recently on my SIRIUSXM radio show while interviewing best-selling author Dan Miller about his book, No More Dreaded Mondays. I imagine it is scary to most of us. The traditional 9-to-5 model of working for one employer is all most people know. Perhaps you’ve freelanced or consulted and offered your skills and talents to more than one employer.
But did you know there are even more ways to make a great living?
Here are few of the work models from Dan’s book that might excite you:
- Professional Speaking and Writing – Companies are outsourcing many things including training and development. If you have a topic you’re knowledgeable about (and are viewed as an authority on), you can teach, train or motivate employees by becoming a professional speaker. Dan recommends joining the National Speaker’s Association to learn more.
- Franchising – As Dan puts it, “working for yourself but not by yourself.” Franchising involves buying into an already established business model complete with an owner’s manual. Prices run from $2,000-$50,000+ to buy-into businesses of all types from food to travel to health/fitness to name a few and income streams can also grow accordingly.
- Distributorship – If you love a certain product or service, you can contact the manufacturer and ask to become a distributor. You will need a simple resale license from your state to buy wholesale and sell at retail. But for almost any product, manufacturers want help making their products available and chances are if you love it, you’ll already helping sell the product, why not make a living from it?
Dan and I agree that most people fear change, seeing it as the potential to lose rather than win. If you’re dreading Mondays now anyway, perhaps “losing” a traditional job is the best career push you could receive. Options like those listed above (and more in Dan’s book) are real and viable if they fit your interests and talents. Start by Soul Searching, Researching and Job Searching to uncover which new way of working could work best for you.
Maggie Mistal is a certified career & life purpose coach and the host of "Making a Living with Maggie," which airs every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112, XM 157. Please visit her website at MaggieMistal.com.
From: Dan Miller | 7/24/10 at 9:41 am
Maggie -- it was a delight being a guest on your show. You obviously share my optimism about all the new opportunities in the workplace today.
As you state so clearly here, the workplace is changing dramatically. But those changes are simply exposing new ways of finding - or creating - work that is meaningful, purposeful, and profitable.
Your friend on the journey - Dan Miller
From: Maggie Mistal | 7/26/10 at 5:49 pm
My pleasure Dan! Thanks for stopping by "Making a Living" and helping us all have a "No More Dreaded Mondays"' attitude. You are so right that as we think so shall we be - truer words were never spoken.
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