Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A big part of what I'm getting from the OWS crowd is that they just graduated from college with a degree in something-or-other and they can't "find" a job, or "nobody's hiring."
My question to them is, "Why don't you create your own job?"
Starting a business isn't hard. Anybody that can use Google can find out what city/state business licenses they need, and go pay a few bucks to get them.
If these OWS kids - who are supposed to be educated, intelligent people - can't figure out how to use the information that they learned in college and that should be very fresh in their mind to find people willing to pay for that knowledge and/or skill, why should anyone believe that they're anything but slackers?
Even if it's not their goal in life to own their own business, it would bring money in while they're searching for that "perfect" job, and it would fill in that otherwise empty (and unattractive to employers) block of time on their resume.
I have cancer. Who is going to insure me to start my own business? Who is going to insure my friend with asthma (hint: no one)? Or my friend with depression (hint again: no one)? Quite frankly, a large population of people hit 22 or 23 and have some illness, often not serious, that makes them either uninsurable or priced out of health insurance. If you are unemployed, at least you might be able to qualify for some form of Medicaid. If you are bringing in an income, you are doubly screwed.
Also, if starting a business isn't hard, why do most fail within a few years? I would have loved to start my own business - but I recognize that sitting in college for 4 years does not give me the skills to freelance. I need to prove myself in the workplace. Not everyone is handy or has skills that translate to their own business straight out the gates. Most of us need a little training.
Some kids are doing that. Start up capital is an issue though. You have to live while you're putting a business together. I didn't even draw a salary my first year out--fortunately I had the capital to do it.
I strongly believe that entrepreneurship and self-employment are my generation's only way out of this mess. The OWS protesters would create far more change by starting their own businesses, creating jobs, and bleeding talent and business away from Wall Street than they ever will camping out in a park in zombie costumes.
I have to facepalm every time I hear of someone being unemployed for years. At that point, you need to stop looking to other people to give you an income and start working for yourself. Not all business ideas require expensive loans or lots of capital. I started my own business with a $500 budget.
I agree with exploring entrepreneurship expecially in this day and age where no job is guaranteed but why do people feel that OWS is only for people that are unemployed?
I am in full support of the movement and have been working since I was 14, worked and supported myself throughout college, got my degree and have a pretty good job now and own my home at 25.
It is not just the lack of jobs, it is the way our Government and Congress operates. We no longer have a Democracy, but a Corporatocracy. So many who are against OWS hate social welfare but seem to be perfectly fine with Corporate Welfare. I though we were supposed to be a Capitalist country where successful companies succeed and failing companies fail? That is certainly not the case anymore.
I have cancer. Who is going to insure me to start my own business? Who is going to insure my friend with asthma (hint: no one)? Or my friend with depression (hint again: no one)? Quite frankly, a large population of people hit 22 or 23 and have some illness, often not serious, that makes them either uninsurable or priced out of health insurance. If you are unemployed, at least you might be able to qualify for some form of Medicaid. If you are bringing in an income, you are doubly screwed.
I know your situation is tough - you pepper this forum with your story on a regular basis - but insurance isn't the issue here. Employment is. Stick to the topic. The vast majority of people work to earn a living, not to go to the doctor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by charolastra00
Also, if starting a business isn't hard, why do most fail within a few years?
I didn't say that growing a business or that being successful over time is easy. I said that starting a business is easy, and it is. Even if you don't end up getting any customers at all (which would be pretty pathetic, honestly), it still fills that time void on your resume.
Quote:
Originally Posted by charolastra00
I would have loved to start my own business - but I recognize that sitting in college for 4 years does not give me the skills to freelance. I need to prove myself in the workplace. Not everyone is handy or has skills that translate to their own business straight out the gates. Most of us need a little training.
Isn't that what college is for?? If you're not ready to start working in your chosen field by the time you've earned your degree, why did you spend the money on that degree in the first place?!
Sorry, but that's a cop out. I barely knew squat about my business when I started it three years ago, but I saw a niche that had potential and I went for it. I learned as I went along, and the business has been growing ever since. So much so that I have to work 70+ hours per week now just to keep up. There's nothing keeping others from doing the same thing, other than initiative and a willingness to take the necessary risks.
It is not just the lack of jobs, it is the way our Government and Congress operates.
There you go.
I could get behind the movement, at least partially, if that's who these people were protesting, but they're not. They're sitting in a park off Wall Street (even the name they've chosen specifies Wall Street) complaining about businesses. It makes them look like dumbasses.
If they were serious about getting things changed, they'd be focusing their ire on Washington DC, not New York. As long as they're misdirecting their anger, I'm going to consider them to be idiots. There may be some smart people down there, but they're making stupid mistakes and if this is going to be their 15 minutes of fame, they're going to go down as being about as smart as a box of rocks.
I have cancer. Who is going to insure me to start my own business? Who is going to insure my friend with asthma (hint: no one)? Or my friend with depression (hint again: no one)? Quite frankly, a large population of people hit 22 or 23 and have some illness, often not serious, that makes them either uninsurable or priced out of health insurance. If you are unemployed, at least you might be able to qualify for some form of Medicaid. If you are bringing in an income, you are doubly screwed.
Also, if starting a business isn't hard, why do most fail within a few years? I would have loved to start my own business - but I recognize that sitting in college for 4 years does not give me the skills to freelance. I need to prove myself in the workplace. Not everyone is handy or has skills that translate to their own business straight out the gates. Most of us need a little training.
You can be on your parent's insurance until you are 26.
Part of Obamacare that kicked in this year.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you're not ready to start working in your chosen field by the time you've earned your degree, why did you spend the money on that degree in the first place?!
