I'm doing some speaking to church groups and other groups of people looking for work. The topic: "Career Alternatives in the New Economy."

What I'm finding is that as bad as things are, most of the people who attend these talks still cling to the hope of replacing their lost job and aren't open to doing anything that doesn't offer a paycheck.

That will change. It has to. When they've gone through their savings and unemployment and they start falling behind in their bills, reality will bite them and they will have to get out of their comfort zone and find an alternative career.

Jim Rohn says, "For things to change, you must change," and nowhere is this more evident than in the decimated job market.

It's fear, mostly, and understandable. On top of losing their income and all that this implies, the idea of doing something entrepreneurial, something they've never done before and that usually involves a big investment of money they do not have or don't want to risk, has got to be frightening.

I offered advice on marketing themselves to employers and re-packaging their skills for what few jobs might remain. And then I explained the advantages of being in business for oneself.

I pointed out that most people who want to start a business reject the idea because

1. They don't have the money,
2. They don't have the time,
3. They don't want to take the risk, and
4. They don't know what to do.

And then, after talking about some of the alternatives–consulting, creating a product, buying a franchise, and so on–I recommended network marketing.

I told them they don't need a lot of money or time and there's almost no risk. I told them they don't need knowledge or experience to start or succeed in network marketing because free training and support and ready-to-go systems are all part of the package. I told them this was what Robert Kiyosaki recommends (I showed them his Cash Flow Quadrant (TM)) and told them this was the choice I made.

I told them how it's worked out for me–financial freedom, time freedom, residual income–but did not present my company. (I don't think it's appropriate. I said if they want more information, they could see me after and I gave them this web site.)

Most had never heard of network marketing. And most did not want to.

You could see it on their faces. The few who asked questions made me realize they didn't appreciate the benefits of network marketing, or didn't believe them.

I will continue, however, because it's a sorting process and as I meet more people who aren't a candidate for network marketing, I will meet some who are. That's great for me, yes, but my objective isn't just to build my business, it's to empower people who right now, aren't feeling too powerful. I try to leave everyone with the idea that there are alternatives and when they are ready, they should explore them.

Some will, some won't, so what, someone else is waiting. . .