***It's Better to Be the Boss

With more employees getting shoddy treatment or worse from their employers these days, there is little doubt that it really is better to be the boss today. And for mostof us, the best way to become the boss is to buy a business. Within the last week alone, I have read three disturbing articles at cnn.com. In different ways, each one tells me that it does not pay to work for someone else. Let's take a closer look at the facts.nnFact # 1 - You're Not Being Paid for Your Contribution In her article, "Workers Lose Traction over Last 10 Years," Jeanne Sahadi writes that "Between 1995 and 2005, productivity - a measure of the quantity and quality of what workers produce per hour - grew 33.4 percent. But hourly wages rose only 11 percent, with almost all of that increase coming during the late 1990s according to EPI [the Economic Policy Institute - ed.]." The author points out that wages have been flat for college grads and that benefits, pension and health coverage have all been slashed over the last few years. She also quotes economist Jared Bernstein, a co- author of the EPI report, who stated, "The economic expansion continues to bypass most working families." That's you and me, by the way. It all means that workers are doing more, but not getting pay that is commensurate with their production. Have you ever thought that you're not getting paid what you're worth? Now there's proof! And guess what? The trend will continue.nnFact # 2 - Compensation Is Going Backwards In the CNN article, "Job Growth: Just Right," Chris Isadore notes that " . . . worker pay is still not keeping up with inflation. The 3.9 percent year-over-year rise means wages trailed the 4.1 percent rise in prices over the 12 months ending in July." So not only are you working harder and not being paid for what you produce, you're actually falling behind even the most basic barometer of inflation. I don't know about you, but if I were slipping farther behind every year, that would start to get depressing.nnFact # 3 - The Big Layoff Season Is Coming In "Layoffs Loom: How Safe Are You?" author Jeanne Sahadi notes that "Typically, the heaviest months for layoff announcements have been October, December and January, according to John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas." She also points out that "Over the past 10 years, 9.7 million jobs were cut, 38 percent of which were announced in the last four months of the year." So job security is slipping too. Not a pretty picture.nnBut When the Going Gets Tough . . . It all sounds grim to me. But as the old saying goes, "When the going gets tough . . . the tough get going." And one of the best ways to move ahead today is to stop working for a company that undervalues you and buy a business of your own. I'd encourage you to consider buying a business of your own. Our newest home study course, The Art of Buying a Business, can help you leave your unrewarding job behind and chart your way to financial independence and wealth.nnMichael Sexton is President of Trump University.nnEditor's note: To learn more about whether buying a business is right for you, click here to get a copy of our free report, The 10 Golden Rules for Buying a Business.