Is it Time to Retool as a Digital Entrepreneur by Mike Farrell with aspenIbiz

This recession is producing fundamental change. No matter what happens with this economy, it is clear the landscape has changed. The real economic stimulus is the recession and the upside down economy is creating entrepreneurial opportunities.

Many workers find themselves asking these questions: will the next round of layoffs include me? will my position be eliminated after my company’s upcoming merger? is there any way I can expect a raise or bonus in this economy? is my current business recession-proof?

The marketplace is telling many workers their jobs are not coming back (as a result it is a jobless recovery that is underway) because what they produced can be found elsewhere for a cheaper price or nobody wants or needs what they have been producing.

As long as the government does not interfere, the capitalistic economic system is the most efficient allocator of capital for the production of goods and services leading many workers to see the writing on the wall.

Instead of sitting by and watching their futures grow bleaker, workers are retooling and harnessing impressive changes in business culture and technology to create a grass-roots Free Agent Entrepreneurial economy that encompasses a broad swath of small and entrepreneurial businesses that can bend with the changing winds.

As workers are displaced from their jobs, many are going back to school to up-skill, retrain for new jobs, and in some cases, even reinvent themselves completely.

In this recession, there is a real change in workforce training … back in 2001, entrepreneur training was not available for people who were displaced.

However, 2010 will be a good year for learning institutions. They will offer training in new fields and enrollment will be up at less expensive junior colleges, trade schools, and online universities. A new degree is being offered at some colleges and universities – it is the Digital Entrepreneur degree. It is becoming clear that in this recession, there will be big and real change in the workforce.

Entrepreneurship has gained status as a legitimate career path. Tech entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg are rock stars and there has been a cultural shift as the public has grasped the economic potential of highly motivated, idea-driven individuals.

The entrepreneurial movement is being bolstered by such factors as the Internet, cheaper office space, and increased negotiating room with suppliers.

In addition, many are finding cloud computing is taking some of the burden and expense out of starting-up a small business. Inventory, customer management, accounting, shipping, corporate communication and even human resources, can be outsourced to the digital ether as a cluster of web-based services and applications sweep away the need for large office space and pools of employees.

However there are still enormous obstacles for small businesses. Taxes are out of control, credit remains tight, and banks are still stingy. Add to this list the expensive topic of healthcare and things can seem very gloomy.

No matter how much we dream about it, most of us prefer the security of a job and paycheck, and no amount of entrepreneurship propaganda will change human nature. Yet for both the doers and the dreamers, the Free Agent Entrepreneur is not just a style of work, it is also a way of life. Entrepreneurs zig when everyone else is zagging.

As a result, many are considering an Internet Based business where you leverage a suite of best practices, Internet software tools, education, and support in a community of gifting colleagues thereby placing yourself at the center of the New Economy 2.0: The Ascendancy of the Entrepreneur.

Following an approach where you essentially carbon copy success of leaders in the community … you can stand on the shoulders of giants that proceeded you and this how you can successfully launch a home-based business and start making money in a reasonable amount of time.

While you are putting the pieces of the business together, you are working on your personal training and development. Like anything else, no one really understands Internet Marketing from the start. One reason is there is so much to know. As you start, you need to consider “Reengineering You” which includes mastering of new skills, defining your brand, and ensuring you have a high level of energy and commitment to success.

Because you do not need large amounts of capital (as is frequently required in other business opportunities) you can generate one of the best ROIs (Returns On Investment) as you operate an Internet Marketing business. It is time to get started today. To use the slogan of a famous maker of sporting gear, “Just do it!”

You can find out more about retooling as a Digital Entrepreneur, Internet Marketing opportunities, home-based businesses, financial education, and the global economy by reading updates that will be posted at my blog over the next few weeks and following me on Twitter.

As a former engineer with General Dynamics and management consultant at Deloitte … I am on a mission to empower individuals by increasing their financial literacy, improve their ability for personal sustainability, and contribute to the program that has a goal of creating 100 Millionaires by 2012.

Until next time, I invite you to:

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Join me in pursuing financial literacy and alternative business opportunities with multiple income streams at aspenIbiz .

When not traveling for business or pleasure, Farrell operates his own internet marketing company and consulting firm from his home in the mountains of Colorado.

In closing, if you are a reluctant entrepreneur, a business owner, employed in an 8-5 job, or recently retired, yet still wanting to be plugged-in to the next wave of economic prosperity, you can join him in pursuing the lifestyle you want to live by following the aspenIbiz link provided above.