| Susan Stansbury had been employed for a | | | | Recently the company hit a major downturn. |
| company since 1985. She'd started as a part-time | | | | Between the economy, contracts cancelled and |
| receptionist while attending college and after she | | | | some bad business decisions, the company lost |
| graduated was offered a position in the | | | | millions of dollars. Susan was called into her boss' |
| management training program. From there she'd | | | | office and told the news. The "powers that be" |
| worked her way up in the corporation, finally | | | | had decided that Susan's department would be |
| landing in a mid-level IT management position | | | | dissolved and all the IT development and |
| supervising a department of 27 people. Susan | | | | customer service would be outsourced off shore. |
| enjoyed her job, her 6-figure salary and the | | | | Susan and her entire team were assured that |
| people she worked with. In the over two decades | | | | they had done nothing wrong, were eligible to be |
| she'd worked there, her co-workers were like a | | | | rehired and would receive severance packages. |
| family. They'd spent time together both during | | | | But it didn't matter --- they were all suddenly out |
| work and that had spilled over into the social | | | | of work. Not only that, but they were stripped of |
| arena. Susan generally lunched with several | | | | their security badges, and the company security |
| friends, including her boss, and had attended their | | | | team stood by each person's desk as they were |
| weddings, baby showers, and had even | | | | handed a box and immediately asked to clean out |
| commiserated during divorces and had taken (as | | | | their desk, then each person was escorted off |
| well as given) advice about such varied subjects | | | | the premises. |
| as "empty nest syndrome" and where to | | | | Does this sound like a harsh scenario? I assure |
| vacation in Costa Rica. | | | | you that this kind of thing happens daily. You only |
| But it wasn't all play. Because she worked in the | | | | have to open up a newspaper, listen to the radio |
| IT department, there were many days where | | | | or television news or log on to the internet to |
| she felt that at the end of her 8 hours, she'd just | | | | realize that similar situations are happening each |
| gotten started. Generally Susan was one of the | | | | and every day. There are hundreds or even |
| first ones in and one of the last to leave. It wasn't | | | | thousands of "Susan's" who have experienced the |
| unknown for her to work at least one day during | | | | let-down, humiliation and hurt of a layoff, |
| the weekend to get caught up from the many | | | | downsizing, outsourcing - or whatever you want |
| meetings she was required to attend during the | | | | to call it...brings. |
| week, or to take work home with her and catch | | | | This is one of the reasons why thousands of |
| up while the rest of her family was enjoying TV. | | | | people a year are starting their own businesses. |
| In short, Susan had decided that she enjoyed the | | | | They are opening small companies and home |
| financial, mental and emotional security of staying | | | | based businesses. They are starting with their |
| with the company her entire career. She had no | | | | own ideas, purchasing franchises or joining |
| desire to make major changes in her life. She was | | | | network marketing companies. They see the |
| comfortable with her 401K plan, her 3 weeks of | | | | potential of establishing their own business where |
| paid vacation per year and her life in general. She | | | | they aren't in danger of being fired, laid off or |
| was loyal to her company and expected or | | | | downsized. |
| assumed that they would be loyal in return. | | | | |