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The Rainforest Rivers – Economic Indicators

Posted by Carolyn Thompson on Aug 18, 2009 in Thinking Positive

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Tropical rainforests have some of the largest rivers in the world. These mega-rivers are fed by countless smaller tributaries, streams, and creeks. Tropical streams and creeks are even more variable than tropical rivers and can change from a virtually dry river bed to a raging torrent 30 feet deep in a matter of hours during a heavy rain.

While the recent national economic news is trending positively, like more rain for the forest, each of us has a responsibility to help support our local economy.  The larger rivers of the rainforests are pretty steady through even the worst droughts, but it is the strength of the smaller rivers and streams which are the truest indicator of whether the droughts are over.  

Small businesses account for over 80% of the employers in our country.  Whether that’s a locally owned restaurant or café, a clothing boutique, a government contractor, or auto dealership, businesses in your area depend on your patronage for their survival. 

Consciously supporting small businesses in your own community is a direct path to economic recovery for everyone. 

Small Businesses:

  • -Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
  • -Employ about half of all private sector employees.
  • -Pay nearly 45 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
  • -Have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade.
  • -Create more than half of nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP).
  • -Hire 40 percent of high tech workers (such as scientists, engineers, and computer workers).
  • -Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.
  • -Made up 97.3 percent of all identified exporters and produced 28.9 percent of the known export value in FY 2006.
  • -Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms; these patents are twice as likely as large firm patents to be among the one percent most cited.

Support your local economy and help out the smaller rivers of the rainforests by investing in the small businesses.

These statistics provided by SBA about small business and its direct correlation to employment supports this – http://www.sba.gov/advo/stats/sbfaq.pdf

Tropical Rainforest facts found at http://rainforests.mongabay.com

Carolyn Thompson

Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com!  

 

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3

The Downturn / Drought – Tips For Survival

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Even the jungle has seasons. One of those seasons is a period of less rain called a drought or the dry season. We can think of it as the jungle’s downturn.

Recently the US and World economies have had a period of less prosperity or a drought just like a dry season in the jungle. This is a normal part of the cycle. Droughts help weed out the weak so new species can take hold. They also cause animals to adapt or move in search of food. You must adapt in order to survive and here are some tips on how to survive through this “financial drought.” Droughts tend to strengthen the jungle in the long run just like downturns help to weed out outdated companies or workers who need to improve on their skills set.

The strong survive. You must learn to search for opportunities in new ways and employ those strategies by adapting. If you do this, you will end up stronger in the long run and subsequently, be more successful.

When you suspect that you are going to be laid off or when the layoff actually occurs, you must be polite and accept the news with grace and dignity. You do not want to burn any bridges. Ask about your company’s severance package (if they are offering one) before you leave or get the correct contact information for the HR representative who can help you if you have any questions. You should also thank your manager or boss for the opportunity to work for him or her and ask politely if they would be willing to give you a good reference.  Leave, go home and relax. Regroup over the next few days and then start your job search. Do not take months off because you will be sorry if it takes a while to find a new job and you have already taken time off. The average job search takes 2 weeks per ten thousand dollars (so a $50,000 candidate will take about two and a half months to find a job.)

Adapt. Be honest with yourself. Were you laid off or are you having a hard time finding a job because the job that you do is outdated or no longer needed? Do you have older software skills or is your education light compared to what is normally required to do the job that you want? If your answer to these questions is yes, you need to improve your skills to compete in the market.

If you are sending out resume after resume online and are not getting any call backs, you need to adapt the way that you are conducting your search. Be sure your resume is well written. A good resource for this is Ten Easy Steps To a Perfect Resume by Carolyn Thompson available on Amazon.com. You can also have a recruiter or friend read your resume for grammar and ease of understanding. If you know a company has a job and you have not heard back after submitting your resume, call the manager directly and ask if they have seen your resume yet. For example; if you applied for an AP Processor position and you haven’t heard back, call the company and ask to be connected to the AP Manager. When you get them on the phone, ask if they have seen your resume and offer to send it over for their review.  Trust me, this works!

Remember, everything has a time of plenty and times that are lean.  It is natural. By staying strong and adapting, you will come out of the other end stronger and better prepared than you were before.

Webinars on Resume Writing and Job Search Techniques are available at http://www.carolynthompson.net/webinars.htm

Jake Hanson
Senior Associate, CMCS

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