In a recent article published in Round the Table Magazine, it?s estimated that approximately 50 percent of the labor force in the year 2000 will be self-employed.

The anticipated growth in self-employment is spurred by several indicators. "Corporate downsizing, more affordable and powerful computer technology, and an entrepreneurial spirit among the newest members to join the work force are just some of the factors that have spurred the tremendous growth in self-employment," Robert Waltos, Director of Career Recruitment for Northwestern Mutual Life, said.

In recent years, corporate America has experienced restructuring, reorganizing and re-engineering. Some of the largest and financially strongest corporations have laid off employees. IBM laid off 85,000 employees; Sears, 50,000; Boeing, 28,000; Proctor & Gamble, 13,000; General Electric, 9,600.

However, as uncertainty in the corporate job market increases, so does the entrepreneur?s interest in self-employment. Projections for the future employment environment show major shifts. The most significant factor is the rise in small, service-oriented businesses at the expense of the industrial sector. This trend supports the belief that entrepreneurial efforts will increasingly succeed because service businesses require less capital to get underway.
The affordability of computers has also spurred more development of small and entrepreneurial businesses. By closing the "communication gap" with advanced technology, entrepreneurs can service clients from almost any location.

Finally, the human factor suggests that self-employment is in the cards. Generation X, the label attached to the 44 million people born between 1965 and 1976, is the most entrepreneurial spirited generation ever. In a 1995 poll conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation, 54 percent of all those between 18 and 34 were very or extremely interested in starting their own business.

The invitation to "be your own boss" offered by self-employment is appealing to members of Generation X, which is reputed to have a zeal for independence, self-reliance and a desire to control their own destiny. In a survey of new college graduates, career growth, job satisfaction and personal fulfillment were more important than pay and benefits.

According to Futurist David Zach, areas of entrepreneurial growth will include production, services and sales. "There will be hardly any jobs that won?t have interpersonal computer involvement," says Zach, "especially in sales."
Among sales opportunities, those in the insurance industry are unique in that they offer some benefits of a hierachical environment along with the benefits of the new entrepreneurial movement. Insurance sales offers the independence of being your own boss and the security and comfort of being affiliated with a larger company.
For more information about becoming an entrepreneur, contact your campus placement office, the National Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs, career reference books and the World Wide Web.