Self Employment and Today's Economy

My experience with getting grants/loans is a little... daunting. To say the least. I knew it would be, but not to this extreme.

For example, I called one place. They advertise they have business consultants that will help you get together your business plan and 'improve the way you do business.' They asked how much I was looking for, which I don't think is a crazy amount, and then they asked how much capital I could throw back into it. Basically, I have to put forward 20% of the loan to get it. Well... if I had that kind of cash, I wouldn't be looking for a grant. LOL. I would have put it towards what I need to buy myself. So, it's interesting to say the least.

So, if you don't like to hear people rant about society and government, please stop here. At least I warned you.

What's up with society today? With everyone getting laid off/fired/put out of work, how are people supposed to live? Working multiple part time jobs works for a while, but plans for advancement in any position seems to not be an option. Even the regular barista can't move up. I understand, part time workers are cheaper for the business, but this is what defines a high turn-over rate. People won't be interested in staying in a position unless there is an opportunity to gain more of a benefit from their position. Even if that is just to learn more about their job. I know, there is factory work, where some people work day in, day out doing the same job without a thought... but what about those people who can't or won't do that kind of work? Personally, I would get bored with that in a heartbeat, and my productivity would hit an all-time low after a week.

So here's my resolution for this - Harper needs to put more effort into making the new jobs he has created more stable. The news is always talking about how many jobs have been created this month. I think Harper needs to turn this around and say how many jobs have been changed to a stable status; where society can afford their monthly bills without pushing themselves into more debt. Whether this means creating a certain statistic where this many hours=stable depending on the rate of minimum wage and location, or creating a full-time/part time status, I think Canada could see a big difference in the productivity in the workplace sector. Employees would be focused, dedicated, and not stressed about going from job to job just to make ends meet.

What are people's thoughts on this? I would love to hear from you.

Amanda