Holding On...

By Pam Hadder

Let’s talk about business. Things are different, very different – the only thing that is certain it seems is uncertainty. Are you feeling like things are in a holding pattern?  Are you finding customers are slow to make decisions but quick to judge based on minimal information?  Everyone is an expert, but few embrace quality or accountability.

Are you frustrated by negativity, short attention spans, and lack of vision? Are you puzzled by the huge investments being made in material assets such as new construction, building refurbishment, and equipment, while human issues and the day-to-day working realities take a back seat?

Much of what is marketed in popular culture is aimed at youth and young adults, but who is actually holding the cash – who is actually in a position to approve projects and spend money? Dazed by the onslaught of technology and social media, the borders between real and perceived value are easily blurred. It is estimated that 80% of the real wealth in North America rests in the hands (investment capital and bank accounts) of adults aged 50 and older.  Despite progress with gender equity in education, government and the workplace, these adults are primarily white and male.  What we are seeing is a polarization of wealth and power, an eroding middle class, and a focus on maintaining the masculinized machinery that feeds capitalist growth.  In uncertain times, the rich are fortifying their reserves of wealth.

What does our future look like if we continue on this path?  What happens when the individual can no longer access the business world?  Small business was the fastest growing sector in 2002 – the local restaurant, the little gift shop, the florist, the consultant.  Currently, these small entities do not receive government benefits or support that we see offered up to big business (sports teams, developers,  etc.), and small business owners are finding it increasingly hard to compete with huge multinational entities:  think of Shoppers Drug Mart selling groceries or Costco printing brochures.   Unchecked, globalization, neoliberal, and neoconservative strategies erode the power of the person. These factors are creating a new age of feudal living, where a rich minority exploits a desperate peasant class, willing to do anything to survive.

Ridiculous?  Open your eyes see the signs, take care with your choices – we can still choose how we work, who we work with, and where we spend our money.  Our daily choices shape the world and we need to choose wisely and lobby for fairness and distribution of wealth and resources.