Expected American Job Cuts And The Home Business Franchises That Can Help
Unemployment has been slowly rising for awhile, but with all the economic troubles falling on the shoulders of businesses great and small, employer cutbacks appear to be getting worse. There are a few industries that have taken such a hit recently that their employment level is either already falling or expected to fall shortly.

Just over a week ago, CNN posted an article to show what industries were likely to see the largest cutbacks next, and their conclusions really don’t come as much of a surprise. The first on their list was the housing market, which recently saw its worst September since 1981. The finance industry has already seen 110,000 job losses in the last year, and it’s not looking like any changes to that pattern are in the wings. Retail came up as well; struggling as a market even before recession set in, the industry appears to be crawling toward its slowest holiday season since 2001, which means that seasonal hiring may be much lighter this year. Since advertisers are moving away from more expensive printed advertising, employment in the printing industry is also expected to take a hit. And to finish off the list, the automotive industry (primarily auto-production) and the travel market are also suffering, which means a gloomy outlook for two-million auto workers and countless airline and travel employees who are already being let go.

The research offers a bleak forecast, but the article closes with a ray of hope. One Chicago businesswoman from the personnel industry recommends that those laid-off work on honing skills they’ve acquired in one line of work so that they can be applied to an industry that may still be looking for help.

That’s a wise piece of advice. In fact, the loss of a job may be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of a work at home business opportunity. Many home business franchisees have claimed that being given a pink slip was the best thing that ever happened to them, because it forced them to drop a line of work they didn’t enjoy and take up a successful franchise which allowed them to be the entrepreneur they naturally were.

If changing industries sounds like a good move, and starting a home based business is an exciting prospect, here are some business opportunities worthy of a closer look.

WSI Internet

One of the dominant players in the recession-proof internet marketing industry, WSI Internet has been named one of the top 50 franchises in the world today. They’ve been in the industry for the last 11 years, and have stayed on the cutting edge of online marketing consultation from day one. Today, the primary responsibility of a franchisee is consulting clients in the best ways to exploit the internet for the purpose of marketing their businesses. Franchisees needn’t come with any past experience, but simply the willingness to learn the industry.

Rocket Vending

The way they describe their business is "vending with a conscience." Unlike almost all other vending businesses, this business for sale contributes a portion of every candy sale to a breast cancer organization of the franchisee’s choosing. The machines are built with a colorful, artistic design that attracts attention and spotlights the altruistic intent of the business. And to top everything off, the vending industry is recession-proof, making it a solid work at home business endeavor in all economic climates.

DVDNow

Claiming another corner of the vending market, DVDNow is one of the leading names in the growing industry of automated movie-rentals. Franchisees manage as many automated DVD machines as they can handle, placing the devices in public places like grocery stores, shopping centers, and malls to capitalize on a growing segment of movie-viewers who want renting a DVD to be quicker, more convenient, and cheaper than a traditional rental store can make it. This work from home business is not only resistant to recession, but may in fact be counter-recessive, as harder economic times drive more people to cheap forms of quick entertainment.

Undoubtedly, it’s a nerve-racking time for the American economy, but the shrinking of some markets is far from the collapse of all of them. The future is anything but lost, and getting through this difficult time is, in many ways, just a matter of keeping a stiff upper lip, trying something new, and taking advantage of whatever may come your way. The job market may not be strong, but that may simply afford people an opportunity to grow stronger instead.


November 17, 2008