Economic Survival Articles

http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2009-04-14-survivalistsinside14_N.htm
Did some recent searches on economic survival and found some really great articles.
USA today had one talking about the subject: Economic survivalists take root, and what I keep finding is the talk of food storage, downsizing, moving out to the boonies to live on a farm.

This article misses the boat. The key idea is to create your own economy by finding your own personal talents that you can share with others. Learning to taking what you are passionate about and turning that income an income producing occupation is the key. Why would you want to move out to the country and feed pigs and can your vegetables when you would be  better off staying where you are (your contacts, friends, and network are there) so why leave all of that?


My advice is to start right now on your plan "B". That thing you have always wanted to do, incorporate this into your daily life and over time you will be able to turn your plan B into your A plan. Over 10 years ago I took a different direction, I started something that I believed would be my passion in life. Over that time the economy has gotten good, bad and ugly. Overall my business has continued to increase double digits per year. The more I learn, the more people I meet the easier it gets. Now that I have turned my plan B into my main income producing venture. 


Finding ideas for your plan B takes trial and error. I know folks that have started several different things before they found what worked for them. (and most of them didn't have to move out to a farm and start raising chickens and pigs). Over the years, I have read and recommended folks to take a look at the book 48 Days to the Work You Love: Preparing for the New Normal. Dan Miller goes through the process to help you find your passion. 


Sometimes starting a new business venture requires that you put front money that you don't have. Honestly I don't recommend doing this. Unless you have succeeded at business in the past, taking your life savings and gambling on a new business could have a detrimental effect if you don't know what you are doing.


One thing that I have recommended for people is to find something you can do part time as you build up, you can then return more and more profits back into the business. This earn while you learn can give you the time to make mistakes without going broke. And believe me, you will make mistakes. 


Unless your passion is to sell everything you own, move out to the country and start a farm, don't do it. Start right now, by finding your passion then going out and doing it.


Your economic survivalist.

Talk of Survival

Lately there have been a higher than normal amount of survival shows on TV and the internet. From shows like Dual Survival, Survivor-man, Man Woman Wild and the always funny and sometimes stupid Man vs Wild. There are many other shows that have been on and I just love to watch them, some are about an apocalyptic survival situation and others like "lost" are about plane crashes and what have you.

What I would like to comment on is that all the survival training, and such is just a bunch of "living the woods eating grubs" kind of talk.

If "The World as We Know it" changes tomorrow, it will come down to your relationships with others that will get you through it. It doesn't matter how much gold, stored food, bullets for your Glock you have. Unless you have others to lean on you won't make it.

We are a society, but when society breaks down it will break down to "Tribes" and who is in your tribe or group is important. You make or break it on your relationships.

You ask, well how to get my tribe together in place? The answer is get out. Get out and start meeting like minded people. There are many different types of groups you could join. Many of them are local. You can start looking online at place like www.meetup.com or you could look for groups in your local newspaper.
Myself I belong to several groups like Clarksville Networking Group and Provident Living Nashville as well as several motorcycle related groups. On top of that I have many business partners, and customers that are in my network.

I use the internet as well as local face to face meetings to keep up with everyone. Facebook and other social networks are great ways to stay in touch, but also be sure to have a way to get in touch with those in your network if the internet goes down. This is also a great reason to have a local group to be part of. If you know where they live, and they know where you live and something happened you could at least drive over and rely on each other.

Another reason to have a network of people you can call on is because there is no way you can do it all. You might be a jack of all trades, but I'm sure there is something you can't, or don't want to do. For instance I can't weld, work on cars, do electrical, and I'm sure many other things. What I do know how to do is learn quickly figure out what who can do it right and put others in contact with them. I'm a networker, my job is to know who does what the best.

So instead of sitting in front of the TV watching so called "survivalists" eat grubs, slugs, snake and drink urine go out and meet those around you. Your life might depend on it.