Archive for April, 2009

The Small Farm

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
Industrial Farming

Industrial Farming

In my previous post, I discussed the health benefits, the environmental benefits, and the financial benefits of eating more local food that included less meat and more fruits and vegetables.  By eating local, you are investing your money in people in your community, you are reducing the energy and environmental costs associated with your food, and you are more than likely getting a healthier diet.  By eating less meat, which is very energy-intensive, you are also contributing to these causes. 

Challenge yourself to change your diet.  Can you reduce meat from your diet a few times a week?  Can you cook a few more times a week rather than eating out?  Can you buy more local ingredients for your meals?  There is always room for improvement. 

I am currently reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan.  In his book, he discusses the endangered species that is the small farm, now replaced by industrial farms owned by huge corporations.  They seek to extract as much as they possibly can from their industrial farms.  The crop of choice is corn.  It’s easy to grow, and by drenching it in synthetic fertilizer, they can grow massive amounts, year after year.  As a result of this, you can see the omnipresence of corn in our lives.  The snacks, packaging, sodas, frozen dinners, candy, and fast food, all derived from corn products, and thus…fossil fuels.  For every calorie of food produced, it requires on average more than a calorie of fossil fuel.  As Michael Pollan aptly puts it – if it were possible to do, it would be more efficient to just drink fossil fuel. 

And this is the problem facing us today.  Farms are disappearing.  People ingest food and they can’t tell you where it comes from or what it’s even made from.  More preservatives, more corn syrup, more chemicals, more hormones, and more fossil fuels than ever before.  According to climateactionprogramme.com, food and agriculture produces around 20% of greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from industrial farming.  The dirt cheap price of corn has lead to the erradication of family farms, and the erradication of diversity on farms.  You will be hard pressed to find any farm in the midwest that has a diverse selection of crops.  No broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, lettuce, etc.  Industrial farms specialize in corn, and corn only. 

Patagonian Chile

Patagonian Chile

ulaa62

But as food awareness increases and climate change concerns become more mainstream, this has to change.  Organic food is now easily found across the US, and the local food movement is also increasing in popularity. 

ulaa52

As I discussed in March, The Enchanting Group has its own organic farm, in Patagonian Chile.  The farm, Ulaa, grows potatoes, berries, lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, nuts, beans, apples, and many other fruits and vegetables.  We initiated a volunteer program for anyone who is willing to work on the farm.  Volunteers can come and stay on the farm for free, in exchange for a committment to work.  It’s a great way to learn about organic farming, and live just a little bit closer to nature.  Volunteers know exactly what they are eating, since they are picking the food themselves from the Earth. 

We currently have 3 volunteers at Ulaa.  They have all had professional careers in the past, but desired a simpler life, removed from the rat race of city life, one that was closer to the land.  The volunteers, and Ulaa, are doing their part to keep alive the idea of a small organic farm.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Conservation, Farming | No Comments »

Food – Health, Envrionment, and $$

Friday, April 24th, 2009

fresh-organic-foodAs I mentioned in the previous post, Enchanting Challenge provides a forum where people can exchange ideas on how to improve their communities.  You can also post your own challenges, in which you challenge yourself (and others) to do things in your daily life to improve your community, the environment, the lives of other people…and thus – the world.  Little changes in your habits can go a long way.  That’s the mindset that’s important to remember – small efforts by many people = big change.

A great place to start for a personal challenge is food.  Diet fads have come and gone for decades; each new diet proves that the previous one doesn’t work, and promises that finally we have found the one that actually works.  High-carb diets, low-carb diets, low-fat diets, low-calorie diets, vegan diets, organic food diets, raw food diets, etc.  We have all heard it before.  People militantly follow one of these diets for a 2 months and quit for various reasons.  Now I’m not here to confirm the validity or absurdity of any specific diet, just to talk about the consequences of our food choices. 

Organic food and locally grown food have been becoming ever more popular this past decade.  After documentaries describing the shabby conditions of fast-food chains, the environmental impact of industrial farms, the health concerns with preservative-laden food, and the carbon footprint of importing food from across the world.  Farmers markets are popping up across the US, the popularity of organic food has skyrocketed, and even growing food in our own backyards is no longer seen as the work of left-wing tree-huggers. 

0597Slow-Food International is an organization that was started in Italy in to preserve the idea of cuisine, to counteract the growing influence of fast-food, and to spread the idea of food that is good for the planet, as well as our bodies.  (Sarah talks about it more in her blog). 

There are a couple changes that you can make that will make your diet healthier, more environmental, and save you money. 

1.  Eating more fruits and vegetables, and less meat.  Industrial feedlots, where cows are raised for slaughter, are extremely energy-intensive.  More than 1/3 of all fossil fuels used in the US go to the meat industry. 

2.  Cooking more meals at home and eating out less.  It’s difficult to know for sure the ingredients in your menu choices, and they are often imported - more fossil fuels required. 

3.  Buying local ingredients.  This is a big one.  Eating locally ensures freshness, the food is most likely more healthy, and it will seriously cut down on the required energy.

cassoulet200

An interesting article from NPR details an interesting approach to a more healthy and environmentally-friendly diet.  Eating vegan before 6PM.  That’s right.  All food consumed before 6PM must be vegan, but you’re free to eat whatever afterwards (with responsible discretion of course).  It’s not easy, but it would force you to change some of your meals.  And that’s what’s important.  Not to be radical about it, but just make some changes that you can keep up.  I sure as heck couldn’t be a strict vegan, no way.  But I could eat fruits and vegetables for lunch, or beans, and healthy pastas.  If vegan is too difficult, try vegetarian before 6PM.  You can have your meat dish for dinner, but you could cut out the bacon at breakfast, or the burger at lunch.  This approach might not be a cure-all, but it sure will improve your diet, and cutdown on carbon emissions.  And if you are forced to get more creative in your meals, you will have to cook more, and eating in is much cheaper than eating out.  So, more money in the bank.  Win-Win-Win.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Challenges, Farming | 1 Comment »

Earth Day and Enchanting Challenge

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
The first Earth Day occurred on April 22nd, 1970, inspired by US Senator Gaylord Nelson as an attempt to force the environment into the national agenda.  20 million americans participated in coast to coast rallies, many at universities, to protest oil spills, factory pollution, pesticides, and the loss of wildlife.  By 1990, the environmental movement had become a global issue, with 200 million people in 141 countries involved on Earth Day.  And Earth Day 2007 can claim the largest participation across the globe, estimated at around 1 billion people. 
Obama speaks at wind turbine manufacturer on Earth Day

Obama speaks at wind turbine manufacturer on Earth Day

In 2008 there seemed to be momentum building for government action on carbon emissions as well as a boom in the alternative energy business.  With oil prices at unprecedented levels, and environmental awareness at an all time high, the environmental issue was snowballing, and gaining strength.  But, alas, September 2008 abruptly halted the fervor.  Banks began collapsing, stock markets were tumbling, and everyone headed for the hills.  As a result of the economic crisis, environmental concerns have dropped far down on the list of priorities for many people.  Rising unemployment, crime, homeforclosures, and a worldwide recession have dwarfed the environment in terms of immediate importance.  If you ask the average joe on the street whether he thinks repairing the economy or repairing the environment is more important, I’m sure you will be laughed at. 

However, as I often say, the economy and the environment are not mutually exclusive.  All too often people site negative economic impacts when dismissing environmentalism.  That thinking needs to change.  Barack Obama gave a speech yesterday, to comemmorate Earth Day, in Newton, Iowa, the site of a closed Maytag plant that used to employ around 4,000 people.  The site now hosts a wind turbine manufacturer, Trinity Structural Towers.  Obama praised the wind energy business, and used the Trinity factory as an example that rebuilding our economy and shifting to cleaner sources of energy are inextricably linked.  Green jobs are on the rise, and companies like Trinity are leading the way.  Below are two quotes from his speech:

“Now, the choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy,” Obama said. “The choice we face is between prosperity and decline. We can remain the world’s leading importer of oil, or we can become the world’s leading exporter of clean energy.”

“But the bulk of our efforts must focus on unleashing a new, clean-energy economy that will begin to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, will cut our carbon pollution by about 80 percent by 2050 and create millions of new jobs right here in America, right here in Newton,” he said.

sustainable-wind-farms

That may seem like quite a challenge, and make no mistake, it is.  It’s a challenge that will go on for decades.  Barack Obama also challenged every American to replace at least one incandescent lightbulb with a energy-efficient flourescent lightbulb.  If each person did that, a lot of energy could be saved.

While the President is challenging all of us to save energy, Enchanting Challenge attempts to inspire people into making and undertaking their own challenges.  On the Enchanting Challenge website, you can enter your own personal challenge - something as small as recycling, using less plastic, eating locally, changing your lightbulbs - or much larger challenges – volunteering at the homeless shelter, tudoring children after school, reforestation, etc.  The possibilities are endless, but the time to act is now.  Sign up at www.enchantingchallenge.com and register your challenges!image001

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Challenges, alternative energy | No Comments »

Greening Buildings – Rowhouse to Empire State Building

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
Many new buildings being constructed these days are done so with environment concerns in mind.  Using natural lighting instead of low-efficiency light bulbs, insullated windows, non-toxic materials, etc.  But so much of the CO2 going into the atmosphere comes from existing buildings, which is why buildings across the country are undergoing retrofitting to make them more energy-efficient.  This allows the buildings to use less energy, which raises their property value, while reducing utility costs…with the side benefit of fighting climate change.
LEED Platinum Rowhouse

LEED Platinum Certified Rowhouse

Buildings of all shapes and sizes are commiting to becoming more energy-efficient.  I read an article recently on everydaygreendc.com, a website cataloguing the green developments in my hometown, Washington DC.  They reported on how Amy Levin, of Mount Pleasant, DC,  retrofitted her rowhouse with all sorts of energy-efficient measures and managed to get her home LEED-platinum certified, which is the highest classification for energy-efficient homes, according to the US Green Building Council.  She decided to take on this task so that her home could have lower utility costs, higher property value, and thus, higher rent rates for her tenants. These are just a few of the changes she made to her home:

-Insullation – a soy-based foam product is sprayed on all the walls for insullation, reducing heating and cooling needs.  Without any toxic materials, it is the greenest insullation product out there. 

-Plumbing – a double-flush toilet which uses less water.

-Materials – she used reclaimed wood for a lot of her flooring.  All materials are non-toxic, including the paint. 

-Solar panels – she installed solar panels on her roof for electricity. 

As a result of all the green initiatves that Amy implemented, her home now uses 59% of the energy of a regular building, and the value of her home is now appraised 10% higher than before.  Upfront costs, but longterm savings.

From little Mount Pleasant we move on to The Big Apple.  It was recently announced that The Empire State Building will go green.  Yep, the 102-story, 78-year old, colossal building will be undergoing green retrofitting.  Why? Also to save money in the long run.  A joint venture between The Rocky Mountain Institute and the Clinton Climate Initiative, the project aims to make The Empire State Building the largest LEED certified building in the world.  will cost $20 million dollars, but will cut down on energy costs by 38% a year, saving about $4.4 million a year.  While the upfront costs seem daunting and prohibitive, about $13.2 million would have been spent on general maitenance anyways.  The costs for the retrofitting will be recovered in about three years.  About 78% of CO2 emissions in New York City come from energy used in commerical and residential buildings.  By preventing the emission of 105,000 metric tons of CO2 from being spewed into the atmosphere, The Empire State Building will set an example.  If it becomes the tallest green building in the world, it will prove that no building is too big to go green. 

christopher-bliss-empire-state-building

Empire State Building Is Going Green

And Amy Levins in Mount Pleasant is proving that no building is too small to go green.  And same holds true for every building in between.  From a little rowhouse, to a 102-story building, retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient makes environmental sense, and it makes financial sense. 

Amy Levin at her Mt. Pleasant Home

Amy Levin at her Mt. Pleasant Green Home

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Green Building, alternative energy | 1 Comment »

Changing Career Choices

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
 
The Future
The Future

I´ve written a series of posts about how the economic crisis has changed the way we live our lives. Unemployment, debt, foreclosures, vanishing retirements….but also a rise in volunteering, creative business ideas, a shuffling of top talent, and so on. I found another article in The New York Times (there seem to be endless articles in NYT about such things) about how the economic crisis has caused a huge shift in the careers people seek.

 

Finance, for years, has been an almost guaranteed ticket to big salaries. Thousands of young adults entering college opt to study finance, with dollar signs in their eyes. A degree in finance or economics, and a nice internship at some of the big companies, and you are almost guaranteed a good job with a high salary, fresh out of college. Lots even receive signing bonuses while still in college – the top companies want to lock up their talent before they even graduate.

But with these financial institutions sinking, the jobs simply aren´t there anymore. Not only are there layoffs at banks, but as I wrote in my previous post, the top talent at these banks are choosing to leave. The current state of affairs in the financial world doesn´t exactly promise a good working environment. So, with all this in mind, imagine you are in college choosing a major, or even a new graduate looking for a job. Does investment banking sound like a good career path right now? Probably not.  These people will probably choose a different direction.

As the NYT reports, there has been a huge surge in other sectors.  Public service, government, sciences, teaching, social work.  Kedamai Fisseha, a finance major, had always believed he would be working on Wall Street after graduation, but with the economic crisis, he has applied for Teach For America, which places promising young teachers at struggling schools.  Enrollment in finance degree programs has decreased with an increase in computer science, public policy,  technology.  Graduate school applications in these fields are on the rise as well.

Furthermore, as I noted in a previous post, volunteering is on the rise.  A recent headline of an article in The Economist tells all: ¨A Service Nation¨.  Forcing people from their jobs that they may have had for years has also forced them to look at their lives in a different way.  Now that they are no longer working for a job they  may not have loved, they are pursuing their dreams, often thinking they have nothing else to lose. 

Law firms that are trying to cut costs are asking their career lawyers to accept one third of their salaray – to not come to work.   That´s right, get paid 33% of your salary, and do whatever you want.  Then come back in a year, and pickup where you left off.  An article  in NYT talks about Heather Eisenlord, who will be getting paid $80,000 (one third of her previous salary), and she will try to go to east Asia to install solar panels in remote parts of the Himalayas.  It has nothing to do with her job, but having the opportunity to cast off the shackles of her job, she is pursuing something totally different.

Heather Eisenlord Planning Her Year Off

Heather Eisenlord Planning Her Year Off

 

And this brings me to my point, which is the same point I´ve made in some previous posts.  This economic crisis is awful, painful, and wrecking havoc across the world.  But it´s also changing the way we think; changing the way we live our lives.  No longer are teenagers entering college looking for a degree that will make them fast money.  With problems across the world, people are trying to help and serve.  A rise in volunteering, and now a rise in service-based degrees.  Teaching, social work, public policy, and sciences – I believe we are witnessing a shift in culture, a shift in the way people want to live their lives.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Employment, education | No Comments »

Senior Shuffle

Monday, April 13th, 2009

12wall02-190The economic crisis tends to hit certain groups in disproportionate ways.  Among the millions of recently unemployed, some of the hardest hit are workers over the age of 50.  For companies looking to shrink thier budgets and payrolls, cutting the expensive elderly is a quick way to do it.  They become expendable.  The first to get laid off and some of the last to get hired elsewhere.  Why hire a man who is approaching retirement and commands a high salary?  Why not hire a recent college grad to do a similar task for a fraction of the salary? 

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, workers over the age of 45 remain unemployed for up to 22.2 weeks before finding a new job, as opposed to 16.2 weeks for younger workers.  And they are forced to take huge pay cuts from their previous jobs.  The unemployment rate for workers over the age of 45 is at its highest rate since 1948.   Problems beseting the over 45 unemployed are much worse than that of the younger unemployed.  They have mortgages to pay, kids to put through college, medical bills to pay, debt to pay, and retirements to plan for.  The younger unemployed are much more flexible to change jobs, change locations for a job, or shack up with their parents until they find a job. 

These problems are made all the worse now that millions of people have to push back their timetables for retirement, because their 401ks have vanished in the wake of the economic crisis.  They will now need to work for 10 more years in order to survive through their golden years…but they struggle to find work. 

There are a few signs of hope though.  People over 50 have the knowledge and expertise that younger workers do not.  They have years of management experience under their belt, and if they are willing to take a pay cut, there are opportunities to find high positions that were vacated by others.  The crisis has also had another very interesting side effect.  All of the layoffs have created an abundance of talent looking for new opportunities.  There are all these highly intelligent people out their looking for either new jobs or new ventures.

12wall01-190

An article on the front page of The New York Times yesterday touched on this subject.  At all of the crumbling mega banks there is a toxic environment for maintaining talent.  The senior executives can take their much-valued talent elsewhere.  Many of the best want to jump ship as they see their banks sinking quickly.  This may seem like an ominous problem, but it can be spun a different way.  With these huge multinational corporations dominating the industry for so long, they have prevented dynamic new startups from getting into the game.  This has prevented creativity and innovation from flourishing.  Now, with these huge banks floundering, their top talent is fleeing to new opportunities.  They are joining startup companies with fresh ideas and new ways of doing things.  It could contribute to a whole new way of doing business in the future. 

This is where the elder workers come in.  They can offer their expertise to all the new entrepreneurs that will inevitably try to fill the void left by the failed companies.  They can try their luck at new positions in new fields.  Senior Job Bank is a website that connects job opportunities for the over 50 and job seekers that are over 50.  It covers all types of jobs and even part-time employment. 

The current job climate may not be ideal for the over 50 job seekers, and at times it can be downright scary, there are opportunities out there.

sjblogopeople

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Employment | No Comments »

Green Hotels

Thursday, April 9th, 2009
The CasaCalma Lobby

The CasaCalma Lobby

The typical hotel is a huge, greedy, energy-wasting beast.  Massive amounts of electricity are needed to light the hotel, run the AC, heat water for showers, and run the countless appliances throughout the building.  Water is continuously flowing out of faucets and showers, with no regard for conservation.  Washing machines are constantly running, using electricity, water, and chemicals that will pollute streams and lakes.  The materials used to build the hotel aren’t typically the most environmentally friendly options.  In short, the hotel business is typically a huge enemy of the environment.

This waste of energy is also the enemy of good business.  Long-term energy efficiency will not only contribute to a healthier environment, but also to a healthier balance sheet.  Hoteliers are starting to see the light.  Eco-hotels are a growing phenomenon in the US and across the world.  My colleagues and I, along with EcoTrotters, a partner of Enchanting Challenge, went to the first Eco-hotel in Argentina, the CasaCalma.  It’s located in Buenos Aires, an oasis of greenery and efficiency surrounded by the noise and pollution of a big city.  CasaCalma prides itself on operating in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way possible. 

Low-energy lighting, double glass windows for better insulation, walls made from recycled materials, automatic lighting that turns off when rooms are empty…these are just a few of the measures taken by CasaCalma to ensure the smallest carbon footprint possible.  They also use less energy because of the large windows that allow the use of natural sunlight, they cook with local and organic food, and they rarely use any plastic. 

They seem to think of everything, including tiny details you wouldn’t normally factor in…for example, they don’t even have any pens in the hotel, they use pencils made from the wood of a rapidly regrowing plant, similar to bamboo.  They cook all their food, including baking their own bread, taking into account the number of guests each day so that there isn’t left over bread that must be thrown away.  They are also the only hotel in Argentina with two vertical gardens, plants that grow on the wall with dual functions: the plants clean the air and help insulate the building, keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  The wood used in the building is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).  Even the little bottles of shampoo and lotion are reused. 

A room in CasaCalma

A room in CasaCalma

There’s also money in being so virtuous.  CasaCalma’s utility bills are only a fraction of the typical hotel.  They don’t have to pay for huge amounts of delivered food, or cleaning products, or towels (they use cloth towels that get reused instead of paper towels that would be thrown away).  You would think that such attention to detail would only work for high end hotels, but precisely because there isn’t too much waste, the costs are kept under control.  Furthermore, many of the guests from the US and Europe stay at the hotel because of its green credentials.  Environmentally conscious travelers often seek out the greenest hotel, to do their part. 

CasaCalma is a bet ahead of the curve in Argentina, a country where being green is not exactly mainstream.  Because being environmental is not a priority for Argentines, you might think it would be a waste of time to concern yourself with the headaches of ensuring an energy-efficient hotel.  But then again, as environmental awareness increases in Argentina, as it has in other parts of the world, CasaCalma will have the market cornered.

Dining Room

Dining Room

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Business Profile | No Comments »

Enchanting Challenge

Monday, April 6th, 2009

one_less_plastic_bag_t_shirt_earth_day_t_shirt-p149688797765093486uffo_400I began writing this blog about two months ago with the purpose of diving into the world of social entreprenuership and socially responsible businesses.  I´ve tried to analyze the reasons why people decide to direct their business operations towards a social mission, the benefits of doing so, the drawbacks, the success stories, and so on. 

This blog is part of Enchanting Challenge, which is a non-profit entity, aimed at connecting people from all walks of life in order to take action to benefit their community.  Calling on all people to take action, Enchanting Challenge hopes to guide the way.  Their are no limits to the types of action one can take, and every little bit counts.  A lot of people doing just a little bit can have a profound impact.  Something as big as an organization getting a rainforest protected to something as small as growing plants in your own backyard.  From retrofitting green buildings, or composting at your house.  From educating the disadvantaged on disease prevention, to helping kids in the community learn how to read.  Every little bit counts. 

The idea is to take action and to inspire others to do the same.  Each person should create their own ¨Challenge,¨ a sort of committment to do something for your community, the environment, or for people around you.  And as I said before, nothing is too small, so don´t feel like your actions are pointless or too small to make any lasting impact.  Not only will small actions taken by many people make a difference, but your personal Challenge will be seen by others and hopefully copied.  Act and see others do the same. 

As I said in the previous couple posts, the economic crisis is no excuse to withdraw from community service and engage in an ¨every man for himself¨ attitude.  Quite the contrary.  Volunteerism has boomed during these bad times, and creativity has flourished too.  In the spirit of a new call to action, I will post my first challenge below.  I will make 5 small changes in my daily behavior, that may not seem like a big deal, but they are easy things I can do that will have a positive effect.  Hopefully they can serve as a model for others, to show that even small actions add up, and you don´t have to save the world in one day.  Here is my first challange:

aleigha-maria-reforesting-2

2 volunteers participating in reforestation efforts

1.  Cut down on plastic.  Plastic does not break down, it does not decompose.  It gets swept into the ocean and it has very harmful effects on the environment.  I will no longer use plastic bags from the grocery store, and I will try to reduce it in other places of my life. 

2.  Use less hot water.  Hot water makes up the majority of energy use in each household as it takes lots of gas or electricity (which probably is made from a coal plant) to heat the water.  Using less hot water will go a long way to saving energy. 

3.   Donate my extra clothes.  Everyone accumulates a mountain of clothes in their closet and usually doesn´t wear half of them.  I´m guilty of this too.  I will donate the clothes that I don´t wear to a charity. 

 

4.  Be a responsible consumer.  This is a big one that covers a lot of areas.  We all consumer things everyday.  Food, drink, clothes, electronics, etc.  Often, these products come from very irresponsible companies.  It is our job as consumers to educate ourselves on the good and bad companies, reward the good ones, and punish the bad ones through our choices.  Everything from locally grown food, fair trade coffee, fair trade clothing, and other products that come from environmentally friendly and worker friendly sources.  I will try to do my produce shopping at farmers markets instead of Safeway, buy fair trade coffee instead of anything from Nestle, buy clothes from responsible clothing from brands, and so on. 

5.  Volunteer more.  When in Washington DC, I liked to volunteer at the DC Central Kitchen, a food pantry that supplied hot meals to all of the areas homeless shelters.  I´ve been really busy the past couple months, but I´d like to volunteer again. 

As you can see these are not earth shattering sacrifices I am making, but they are changes in my daily lifestyle that will hopefully be long lasting.  If everyone tweeked their behavior, making positive choices in their daily actions, together we could all make a big difference.  Micro actions equal Macro change. 

eg

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Challenges | No Comments »

Starting a Business in a Recession

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

The worldwide economic recession is making business hard for everyone.  Everyday we hear about more foreclosures, more financial losses, more bailouts, more bankruptcies, and of course, more layoffs.  With the ranks of the unemployed piling up and our economic prospects looking gloomier by the day, it’s gotta be the worst possible time to start a business, right?  The credit pipes that were once freely flowing have been frozen, consumer demand has plummeted, and trade is slowing down.  Why take a risk on a new venture?

I came across a very interesting term in a recent New York Times article on March 14th, - ”forced entrepreneurship.”  The basic idea is that people who have been layed off from work and are having trouble finding another job, are being forced to come up with new ideas to make ends meet.  That may mean working in a totally different field than they are used to, freelancing with skills they already have, or starting a new business. 

So many people have been layed off in the past couple months, a lot of which are highly educated, highly experienced, or highly skilled in their line of work.  Despite their wealth of experience, the job market is dry and they continue to search in vain for a new job.  They send out hundreds of resumes and never hear back from any employers.  Savings are depleting and the job search isn’t improving.  What to do?  Many are trying to create their own opportunities. 

Former IT employees have decided to put their know-how to good use, and have started doing freelance work.  Ryan Kuder was layed off from Yahoo! and decided to start his own internet company, doing freelance projects designing websites.  It may not be his dream job, but it’s working out. 

Some hate job hunting so much that they’d rather experiment with new business plans than continue to send out resumes.  And that may be the most interesting point in this story.  With the abundance of intelligent people being forced to find a new line of work, unquestionably there will be some new interesting ideas that emerge.  Mark Cannice, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship Program at the University of San Francisco puts it perfectly, “If there is a silver lining, the large-scale downsizing from major companies will release a lot of new entrepreneurial talent and ideas — scientists, engineers, business folks now looking to do other things.  It’s a Darwinian unleashing of talent into the entrepreneurial ecosystem.” 

Many of these folks have been working at their jobs for a very long time at their profession, learning a lot, but maybe not being forced to use their creativity.  Without steady jobs to fall back on, many of these potential entrepreneurs are acting on ideas that were once too risky because they now have nothing else to lose.  Erin Kitchell, formerly of Wachovia, has decided to try to create language guides for travelers.  Totally unrelated to her previous job, she has an idea for a business and is now trying to make it become a reality. The shrinking financial sector is forcing entrepreneurs out into the open, trying their hand at new trades. 

As I said in the previous post, “a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.”  Just like all the people volunteering while they are looking for new jobs, thousands of newly unemployed are deciding to follow their dreams.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Social Entrepreneurs | 1 Comment »