Forum Post: Self Employ Ourselves
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 21, 2011, 11:15 p.m. EST by Marc526
(44)
from Lodi, NJ
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
One of the ideas I had as a small business teacher was trying to teach more and more people to be their own business. That's right cut out corporate rules. Cashiers join in business and make MomsCashiers they work a circuit of Target and Kohl's stores independently of corporate. They get breaks when they need, care that they need and they don't take shit from fucking bullshit managers that think they're cocks are the biggest things on this Earth besides their wallets. Seriously we need to employ ourselves and cut out corporate! Whose with me?
http://metapolitik.org/blog/protests-as-emerging-cities
http://metapolitik.org/blog/99-ad-hoc-trademark
http://metapolitik.org/blog/occupy-hackathons-produce-digital-tools
It's the time to start COOPERATIVES
agreed
Agreed
People need to learn that they even exist.
I agree. No offense to any of the GREAT work being done: Starting a newspaper, this website, etc., but a lot of money has been donated, and perhaps we should think of ways to bring about our OWN solutions with this money, in addition to protesting for change. Nearly 100K raised so far: We should start an entrprenuer's fund. And vote on which ideas should be funded.
Yup, I am.
I would love to see classes given at the OWS camps on how to become self-employed. It is the key to happiness and "job" security.
If you start w reminding people it's hard work, interest will wane quickly....
Interest in your opinions is on the wane.
lol well I guess that would be the way to separate those truly in need of help from the complainers
I also think many people don't like to take risks and probably aren't taught how to take calculated risks. Your average American would rather have the "security" that comes with a steady check than the "security" of knowing how to be independent.
But if you're hungry, you have to learn.
That kind of hunger is not found at a protest.....
The first step would be to get off your arse
lol you know nothing dumbass
nifty idea. I think people creating small businesses is an incredibly brave and constructive response in an economic crisis. But I am guessing someone would have to "manage" the business you are talking about, make sure the cashiers are doing their jobs, set up standard practices and procedures and make sure they are followed, etc. Because if the cashiers don't deliver a certain standard of service Target and Kohl's will go elsewhere. Sure enough, anyone in your group who is told to take part in this management process, be it collective or not, is going to get called a bullshit manager and a cock when they inevitably call someone out for not doing their fair share.
we are 99% our strength is in number. as soon we get divided into small enterprises soon we will compete with each other. so i think we cant afford to do that. we are together and lets us work together as a cooperative society. all of us will work together and share the profit together. corporate will fail if they don't have any buyers
Well you can't just decide to start your own economy, when the people who run the current economy own everything that's necessary to make up an economy.
Really everybody has these pipe dreams, but realistically, the power structures of the world are not designed to let you drop out of them and do your own thing. So we have to do something about that, mainly.
Power structures of the world? Europe lives a thousand times better life than we do as Americans. They have free health care, largest middle class and wealth is distributed fairly they are looked upon badly if they hoard wealth. The power of the world is GREED and that greed ends when we stop giving money to it.
I'm afraid this is very mistaken. To put it briefly, you cannot choose not to give money to greed, because greed controls everything you need -- along with most of the money. And this is very much by design. You give money, or you give labor, or you give capital -- or you become homeless.
In other words, the power that power holds, is not a power that you can just ignore, but a power you have to take away. Europe did not get free health care by refusing to give money to health insurers.
However I also do not believe that Europe can provide a model -- because, though certainly their governments ensure a higher standard of security than Americans enjoy, ultimately their power structures are the same, ultimately their security was put in place for the benefit of capitalist owners who needed security for their workforce, and ultimately nation-states are still made to compete for global finance capital. Thus European social benefits are subject to the same race to the bottom -- as we are witnessing today, in the imposition of "austerity." And, subject to the same global competition, European nation-states cannot resist the temptation of accepting the products of the third world which effectively "outsource" labor and environment conditions that Europeans personally would never accept. Their economy has not truly freed itself of exploitation. And this is further not a simple matter of choice: if they refuse these exploitations, they become uncompetitive on the national level. Yet to accept them is a short-sighted, self-destructive policy: in the long run, we need trade agreements designed to de-escalate competition to the point where human labor and the environment take priority over production cost.
Agreed, so perhaps you would consider our group's proposal of an alternative online direct democracy of government and business at http://getsatisfaction.com/americanselect/topics/on_strategically_weighted_policies_organizational_operating_structures_tactical_investment_procedures-448eo , for this is a small-business-bottom-up approach, not today's big-business-top-down approach, so if agreed, join our group's 20 members committed to that plan at http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/StrategicInternationalSystems/
Self employed should help economy and goverment changes could help.http://occupywallst.org/forum/paychecks/ Thanks.
i agree, our first products should be information packages regarding how to solve civilizations problems.
http://www.followthemoney.org/?gclid=CMbY87bB-qsCFUPt7Qod9HE8mQ
http://maplight.org/us-congress/guide/data/money?9gtype=search&9gkw=list%20of%20campaign%20donations&9gad=6213192521.1&9gag=1786513361&gclid=CP61oYbB-qsCFQFZ7AodcTF0jw
http://www.opensecrets.org/
http://occupywallst.org/forum/non-violence-evolution-by-paradigm-shift/
Not so easy, but it can be done. I'll probably try again. It's MUCH easier, (and sometimes more fun), to be "another dumb employee".
Then let it begin class starts now we have to stop working for corporate and teaching them who to play fairly with us! Self-employed is how we all should be isn't that the real American dream?
Self emplyed is how many of these 1%ers got their start. Be careful...you may become a success and have to fight off protesters.
1% is not people with money its the people that don't share their wealth and keep it to themselves. I believe in Fair Trade that means paying everyone equally. I will never drive a Mercedes Benz unless everyone working for me does. I am successful already and so are my people thank god.
You seem to suggest that the owner of a business should pay all employees similar wages. So, the guy that stocks shelves will make a similar wage to the accountant? This approach will stifle motivation and innovation. Why better yourself and work hard if there is no reward?
Some stocking shelves needs education, assistance and care. Money is not the only tool we have to give. Part of the problem is low wage means keeping people in the same downward spiral of life. I understand a stock boy should not make as much as other significant roles in business. However he should be cared for more meaning school paid, better care, housing and social influences. I'm talking about our more socialistic approach to life. I'm not better than anyone else I wish for everyone else to have the same life or better. Call me a Buddhist but that's what I believe.
School paid, better care and housing all costs money. There is no way around that since all of these things require someone's effort and skill to provide. Effort and skill equals reward. Supply and demand is not a philosophy. It is a cause and effect relationship.
Hence why the 1% with 40% of the wealth need to share that money? Are you with OWS or against us? Seriously if your against us then go write on FOX news blog leave us radicals alone.
Really? No room for debate? This doesn't seem so black and white to me. "With us or against us". You seem unreasonable and angry.
I'm not on this forum to argue with anyone I'm on here voicing my concerns and opinions. We all were affected by the 2008 depression I lost everything including my home. I want to live in a better place and see Socialism come back to light. Carl Marx was a progressive man and Stalin abused what amazing concepts he had to share with his people. All I know is OWS leans toward more socialistic approaches than Capitalism does.
Fair enough. However, if you want to voice your concerns and opinions you should expect to hear opposing views. Debate is healthy and should not be considered an argument. Remember, you learn while listening (reading) than you do while speaking (writing).
Ya! I'll start a business right from my tent!
Then you can pay the self employment tax, another burden on business owners
People don't want to work, they want free handouts.
I don't understand why we should even have to work as cashiers or clerks or whatever. These filthy one percenters are hoarding so much money if we could just free that up and spread it around, we could be free to express ourselves without the tyranny of being slaves to Mr. Corpo-giant Walmart!
Life is all but jobs my friend we have to love what we do from taking out the garbage to teaching in a school. We all serve a purpose in this life and its life that we serve and love. Find your passion and make it your wealth and instead of hoarding it share it with life.
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IT IS possible to earn money without an evil college degree working for evil corporate America! The first step is you have to go someplace where work is, and do work. That involves getting off the ground, putting down your sign, washing your hippie armpits and GOING TO WORK.
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LOL! Let me guess... You've never actually run a small business. I've done the corporate thing and I've run my own. If you think that you're going to get more breaks and have it easier, then give it a try and come back and let us know how that worked out. lol You're likely to be very disappointed as far as all that goes.
Doing the corporate thing, I'd roll in at 9. Have coffee and a pastry (free of course). Shoot the shit for a while. Do some work. Take a break and shoot the shit some more. Go to lunch. Come back and work. Another break. Work for a while and go home. 4 weeks vacation, holidays, sick days, health care mostly paid, 401K match, travel to conferences in nice places staying in nice hotels, end of year bonuses, etc., etc.
Now I get up every morning at about 7. Crank all day to meet my shipping deadline at 8 pm. In between deal with pain in the ass customers, suppliers who F' up, deal with tax, accounting, and other crap from about 5 different agencies, and whatever else comes up or breaks to slow me down. Most days I'm lucky if I get to eat more than one meal. I finish up whatever email and other stuff that I couldn't get to during the day at about 2 am. Then I wake up and do it all again the next day. I haven't had a vacation in the last 10 years. Holidays are days off for people who work for somebody else, you don't get many of those. My high-deductible health insurance sucks even though it costs me ~$600/month. The only end-of-year bonus that I get is to work extra hard from Thanksgiving to xMas to try to keep up with the rush, most of the money from which goes to cover taxes that I couldn't afford to pay earlier in the year.
Sounds just great doesn't it? lmao Lots of benefits to working for yourself, but having it easier ain't one of them. It's a whole heck of a lot easier to work for somebody else.
Was the point of this that being self-employed is easier? Personally, I find it more fulfilling but not "easier". Easier in the sense that I don't hate what I do as I have hated some jobs that I've had. Not easier in the sense of less work or shorter hours.
Everyone isn't going to be able to make it work, but I'd encourage the jobless to start thinking outside the box of "government and/or corporations need to create a job for me".
Yep, I'd agree. Despite the many hard aspects, quality of life and personal fulfillment are worth a whole lot. To me anyway. And I'd sure encourage people to do the same.
If it's any consolation I would shake your hand if we met. That type of work ethic is not found anymore. You mind if I ask what business you're in?
Well, thanks. I have kind of a niche product that I have a patent for that I manufacture and sell direct. Nothing very exciting. Actually, it's pretty much dead boring. lol But it does what it does better than anything else out there and it sells.
I probably never would have done it had I not been laid off and forced to. Losing a good money job sucked at the time, but in the end was the best thing that could have happen. Made me finally get off of my ass and do something. Kinda nice to actually make something and be able to see some concrete results from your work.
Ran and run a business actually and yes your right I did fail not once and not twice but three times like President Bush ;) But I didn't give up I kept fighting and learning. I never said running your own business was easy I said its better than being controlled by one. Not all corporations run Nazi camps but alot do especially in the retail sector. Have you worked at a McDonalds? Did you get fry grease all over your hands? Did you have too clean the shit in the bathroom stalls from customers? Oh then you had an easy job lucky you.
Only in the "corporate world" do the use deep fryers and have dirty bathrooms. Who will clean the bathrooms at your business?
I clean them as does anyone else but at a fair wage not $8.00/hour. And don't tell me we deserve that pay because we didn't go to college or we are too stupid. That is not how you treat anyone no matter who they are. Teachers get paid the worst salaries and look what we have to do. I'm just trying to state that in order to cut the 1% fat 99% need to fight to be more independent, which means working for themselves.
Actually, teachers (public school anyways) get paid extremely well in New York City.How did you arrive at the position that they have "the worst salaries"?
NYC pays $60,000 a year and it costs $1800-$2000 a month for rent so really we are only making $36,000 a year it cost 30% of our pay to work in NYC. Paid extremely well compared to what a garbage truck worker? Are you serious right now? Who are you OBS Occupy Bull Shit? When a football player can make 15 Miliion in one year and we struggle to get a raise for the past 3 years tell me how extremely well that is?
It costs all of us a lot to live here, not just teachers. In any event, in 2009 (the last year I checked) 44% of teachers made over $75,000 a year and 30% made over $80,000. Quite a few (11,000 to be exact) made over $90,000. This is base salary alone and doesn’t take into account pension and benefits an. I honestly can see no basis for teachers to complain.
So it sucks for the rest of us 46,000 teachers that get paid shit because the top 1% get paid more than we do. They get paid more because they could afford PHD's and live on lower salaries thanks to rent control apartments in NYC. Once again we get screwed because the general consensus like "you" think we got it made. Amazing thanks so much.
Never said anyone had it made or didn’t have it made. But if you take a look at what the majority of people have endured over the last three years, you have to realize that you sound a lot like a guy with a splinter crying to a room full of cancer patients.
What is a fair wage? Does your wage depend on your value? The unskilled and uneducated have little to offer; therefore, they are paid accordingly. This may sound harsh, but those are the facts. If anyone can do the job, the pay scale will be low. If the job is specialized and requires great skill or knowledge, the job will pay more. Should a stock boy make a similar wage to that of a heart surgeon? Why do you pay more for a BMW and less for a Honda Civic? A BMW has more to offer.
Yep, when I was young and working my way through school I did all of that and more. Try cleaning the muck out of the bilge of barges with a shovel sometime or standing in knee-deep water running a jackhammer for 6 hours out of the day. That crappy bathroom will be looking awfully good. lol
But even at their worse, I still had to put in far less time and deal with a whole lot less crap than on my own. But at the same time, you're right. There are a lot of aspects to working for yourself that make it all worthwhile, not having to take grief from some knucklehead manager being real high on the list. But that'll cost ya. Most people think you'll be able to do whatever you want whenever you want and however you want to do it. Generally, it don't work that way.
This has been tried before, by competent, well funded organizations. We couldn't make it work. Good luck making it work with this non drug test passing bunch of hippies.
I don't know how to break this to you, but "hippies" don't really exist any more. Did you get caught in some kind of a time warp?
Ok "various radicals". That suit you better? Still can't pass a drug test ;)
Ann Coulter called.. she wants her opinions back.