Life NFT: The economy, the recession and your job. - Page 6

BigVE · 01-23-2009, 01:39 PM

How goes it? I work for a company that builds mono-clave sterilizers. We sell to all types of medical facilities that include laboratories, hospitals, clinics and MANY universities. The writing is on the wall with my employer...sales are way down with nothing big on the horizon. A few layoffs have already happened and then today we just got a memo about all wages/salaries for 2009 being froze at the 2008 rate and that the company would suspend their matching 401k contributions. After the 1st qtr it looks very lean. Who knows what the future holds but for right now we are holding our breath and hoping our sales team can pull through. Very few jobs are recession proof....how is yours?

CoMoChief · 02-05-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smittysbar

It has really put a strain on the bar business.

Then quit drinking all of your product. You have nothing to sell.

bobbymitch · 02-05-2009, 01:51 PM

I removed myself from the labor pool middle of last year. Last month, I find out that my old company cut 40% of it's field staff.

Livin' on the federal dole ain't that bad and I can make a little extra $ on the side with no penalty. In fact, this January, I got a 5.8% pay raise thanks to all you hard working people out there.

I do feel sorry to all those getting the axe and hope things rebound soon. I need to sell a house and a boat.

BigVE · 04-29-2009, 03:28 PM

Bump. Update: well, I was right. As of 2 weeks ago all the hourly workers were cut down to only working 3 days a week. It's not terrible though, KS has whats called a work-share program where we will get unemployment benefits for the 2 days a week we are not working. I haven't gotten the exact figures yet but it figures up to be about a 10% pay cut. So now I have 10% less pay but 40% less work...I work Monday through Wednesday and then have a 4 day weekend. Whats better is that under the rules of this program u can seek other part time/supplemental work and it will not affect your benefits. Could be worse....actually things are still looking very sparse for the next 4-6 months so it could get worse sooner than later. In the mean time I'm working on my golf game until a couple of my part time options pan out.

Jenson71 · 04-29-2009, 03:49 PM

I have no job and my pets' heads are falling off.

RJ · 04-29-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenson71

I have no job and my pets' heads are falling off.

Do you see any connection between those two things?

BigVE · 04-29-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenson71

I have no job and my pets' heads are falling off.

Is this Harry or Lloyd?

|Zach| · 04-29-2009, 07:18 PM

Business is great, the down economy is actually a selling point.

I started a business that helps companies use social media to build their brand and connect in new ways. B2B + B2C. There is so much potential in the field and it is a low cost way to get some great results for your company based on your current goals and practices. We are forming great partnerships with ad agencies and have had great support from places like the Kauffman Foundation.

Part of what we are doing is empowering people to use their expertise to make their own money. Making their skills packageable and marketable. Working harder to find creative ideas to create revenue streams.

In addition to the consulting my photography business is on the up and up. I do a lot of event and portrait work but now I am developing a business plan to do weddings. Did my first one this weekend and had some good results.

There are so many ways to make money...there are to many people programmed into thinking the only way to do well for yourself is to latch on to some big company. Find something you are good at...find a way to offer it...and get people or businesses to give you money for it. Keep it all for yourself.

Its all fun as hell...I traveled down a long and winding road to put myself in a position to make money doing things I absolutely love. Totally self employed and loving the freedom.

**Lumpy** · 04-29-2009, 07:31 PM

Great photos Zach! It's great that u found something that u enjoy and it definitely looks like ur good at it!

Jenson71 · 04-29-2009, 07:35 PM

There's some good stuff to shoot out there Zach. Future exhibits: "Kansas City Workers In Recession of 09" .... "Missouri's Working Class Amidst Recession" ..... "Stimulus Effects in Missouri 2009" I guess for the last one it's Clark Hunt getting a check in the mail, though.

mdstu · 04-29-2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I have over 12 years experience in the credit industry. Even if my current employer goes tits up, I have a feeling I'll find gainful employment somewhere. I'm good at what I do, and am convinced that no matter what you do, if you're good at it, you'll find work.

This is what I tell all the people I work with. I'm convinced that if I lost my job today I could find another quickly and with a raise.

Over-Head · 04-29-2009, 08:08 PM

I'm so freaken busy I'm turning down more work a week than I can do

I own my own company, so unless I fire my self I'm in the clear

**Buehler445** · 04-30-2009, 08:17 AM

I'm still plowing away. Although a giant douche I worked with got fired because she is a blockhead.
Posted via Mobile Device

**BigMeatballDave** · 04-30-2009, 09:29 AM

Unemployed nearly 2 months now. I'm currently in my 4th week of college. U of Phoenix(Axia) Its all online.

**Iowanian** · 04-30-2009, 09:41 AM

In my 2nd year of business, I have less clients, but the ones I have are working my ass off, to the point that I don't have time to market, which is reducing my new client contacts. Ant and the grasshopper....ant and the grasshopper.

My business has improved significantly in the past 2-3 months, enough that I've overlooked a couple of pretty big screwings that would have hurt me badly 6 months ago.

Ex. Bid a project, had a competitor told my bid before they submitted, and surprisingly enough, they came in a few hundred under mine.....Its getting more cut-throat out there. 2 years ago, the big players in my industry would never be bidding against me for projects, and that was part of my model, to serve areas they weren't and couldn't justify the travel etc....now, they're out there fighting with me for relative peanuts in some cases.

Scaga · 04-30-2009, 10:48 AM

Yeah....try working for Cessna Aircraft.
Yet another round of layoffs yesterday (1600 out the door) and another 600-700 coming in the end of June. Then we get 4 weeks off.

Still got a paycheck so I'm one of the lucky ones!

01-23-2009, 01:39 PM
BigVE Veteran Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: centralKs Casino cash: $10005250	NFT: The economy, the recession and your job. How goes it? I work for a company that builds mono-clave sterilizers. We sell to all types of medical facilities that include laboratories, hospitals, clinics and MANY universities. The writing is on the wall with my employer...sales are way down with nothing big on the horizon. A few layoffs have already happened and then today we just got a memo about all wages/salaries for 2009 being froze at the 2008 rate and that the company would suspend their matching 401k contributions. After the 1st qtr it looks very lean. Who knows what the future holds but for right now we are holding our breath and hoping our sales team can pull through. Very few jobs are recession proof....how is yours?
Posts: 4,829

02-05-2009, 01:51 PM	#77
bobbymitch Starter Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Midwest coast Casino cash: $9883512	I removed myself from the labor pool middle of last year. Last month, I find out that my old company cut 40% of it's field staff. Livin' on the federal dole ain't that bad and I can make a little extra $ on the side with no penalty. In fact, this January, I got a 5.8% pay raise thanks to all you hard working people out there. I do feel sorry to all those getting the axe and hope things rebound soon. I need to sell a house and a boat.
Posts: 655

04-29-2009, 03:28 PM	#78
BigVE Veteran Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: centralKs Casino cash: $10005250	Bump. Update: well, I was right. As of 2 weeks ago all the hourly workers were cut down to only working 3 days a week. It's not terrible though, KS has whats called a work-share program where we will get unemployment benefits for the 2 days a week we are not working. I haven't gotten the exact figures yet but it figures up to be about a 10% pay cut. So now I have 10% less pay but 40% less work...I work Monday through Wednesday and then have a 4 day weekend. Whats better is that under the rules of this program u can seek other part time/supplemental work and it will not affect your benefits. Could be worse....actually things are still looking very sparse for the next 4-6 months so it could get worse sooner than later. In the mean time I'm working on my golf game until a couple of my part time options pan out. __________________ Meh.
Posts: 4,829

04-29-2009, 03:49 PM	#79
Jenson71 fides quaerens intellectum Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: United States Casino cash: $8330900	I have no job and my pets' heads are falling off.
Posts: 15,986

04-29-2009, 07:18 PM	#82
\|Zach\| For The Glory Of The City Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $3026768	Business is great, the down economy is actually a selling point. I started a business that helps companies use social media to build their brand and connect in new ways. B2B + B2C. There is so much potential in the field and it is a low cost way to get some great results for your company based on your current goals and practices. We are forming great partnerships with ad agencies and have had great support from places like the Kauffman Foundation. Part of what we are doing is empowering people to use their expertise to make their own money. Making their skills packageable and marketable. Working harder to find creative ideas to create revenue streams. In addition to the consulting my photography business is on the up and up. I do a lot of event and portrait work but now I am developing a business plan to do weddings. Did my first one this weekend and had some good results. There are so many ways to make money...there are to many people programmed into thinking the only way to do well for yourself is to latch on to some big company. Find something you are good at...find a way to offer it...and get people or businesses to give you money for it. Keep it all for yourself. Its all fun as hell...I traveled down a long and winding road to put myself in a position to make money doing things I absolutely love. Totally self employed and loving the freedom.
Posts: 54,737

04-29-2009, 07:35 PM	#84
Jenson71 fides quaerens intellectum Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: United States Casino cash: $8330900	There's some good stuff to shoot out there Zach. Future exhibits: "Kansas City Workers In Recession of 09" .... "Missouri's Working Class Amidst Recession" ..... "Stimulus Effects in Missouri 2009" I guess for the last one it's Clark Hunt getting a check in the mail, though.
Posts: 15,986

04-29-2009, 08:08 PM	#86
Over-Head Boom, Boom , Crash Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: In my shed Casino cash: $9995760	I'm so freaken busy I'm turning down more work a week than I can do I own my own company, so unless I fire my self I'm in the clear __________________ ...Illegitimus non Carborundum est...
Posts: 12,040

04-30-2009, 08:17 AM	#87
Buehler445 Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Scott City KS Casino cash: $-1585266	I'm still plowing away. Although a giant douche I worked with got fired because she is a blockhead. Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 60,019

04-30-2009, 09:29 AM	#88
BigMeatballDave GBM 8-12-15 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Dayton, Oh. Casino cash: $10052154	Unemployed nearly 2 months now. I'm currently in my 4th week of college. U of Phoenix(Axia) Its all online.
Posts: 59,997

04-30-2009, 09:41 AM	#89
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $1668454	In my 2nd year of business, I have less clients, but the ones I have are working my ass off, to the point that I don't have time to market, which is reducing my new client contacts. Ant and the grasshopper....ant and the grasshopper. My business has improved significantly in the past 2-3 months, enough that I've overlooked a couple of pretty big screwings that would have hurt me badly 6 months ago. Ex. Bid a project, had a competitor told my bid before they submitted, and surprisingly enough, they came in a few hundred under mine.....Its getting more cut-throat out there. 2 years ago, the big players in my industry would never be bidding against me for projects, and that was part of my model, to serve areas they weren't and couldn't justify the travel etc....now, they're out there fighting with me for relative peanuts in some cases.
Posts: 62,945

04-30-2009, 10:48 AM	#90
Scaga Pissed off now Joboo Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: On my wife's $hitlist Casino cash: $1141665	Yeah....try working for Cessna Aircraft. Yet another round of layoffs yesterday (1600 out the door) and another 600-700 coming in the end of June. Then we get 4 weeks off. Still got a paycheck so I'm one of the lucky ones! __________________ Bluto: Christ. Seven years of college down the drain. Might as well join the f_cking Peace Corps
Posts: 3,401