Life Happens 365 - Are You Managing the Risk?

By Diane Tait Image courtesy flickr Face it, we live in trying times.   If the stresses of everyday life in this wired world weren’t enough, now we have to add the devastating effects of the Coronavirus to the mix.   It should come as no surprise that everybody is on edge these days.   Loss of income, no place to go to bleed off some steam and even grocery shortages are beginning to take their toll.   I read a newsfeed the other day where two shoppers got in a knock down drag out over the last 4-pack of toilet paper in a grocery store.   When you can’t go to the movies, the beach or a restaurant it amps up people’s anxieties, sometimes to the breaking point.   Since we can’t count on when this crisis will end, you can count on more cases of road rage making the news in the not too distant future.

By Diane Tait Image courtesy pixabay For the past few weeks, nearly everyone has been completely absorbed in the Coronavirus pandemic.But I for one remember a time 22-years ago when another disaster reared its ugly head in Florida.   June, July and August of 1998 produced wildfires of epic proportion in the Sunshine State.   The reason I remember it so clearly is because that's when I moved back to Jacksonville only to see white flakes rain down on my backyard one morning.

By Diane Tait Image courtesy flickr Having been a dog owner all my life, I’d feel lost without a four-legged friend or two by my side.   Dogs are great to have around.   They come when you call them (for the most part), they let you know when intruders approach and they are always happy to see you.   In short, they’re perfect companions.   I even bring my two dogs with me to the office.   But lest we forget that dogs are only tamed wolves, all dog owners must remember their furry friends have a dark side and a wicked set of canine teeth to match.   What I’m talking about is the fact that all dogs can and sometimes do bite.   Whether the cause is fear or anger, the outcome can be dire.   Especially if the target of their ire is another person.   Dog bites have become so prevalent that legislation has been enacted to address the consequences.  

By Diane Tait Image courtesy flickr If you own a business like me, then you know there’s a fine line between revenue and profit.   Many a small business has been known to sell itself into the ground by under-pricing its work.   Others have hit the rocks of insolvency because they over-promised and under-delivered.   But perhaps the biggest cash crunch of all occurs when the economy takes a tumble and suddenly the burden of payroll turns your employees into a school of piranhas whose appetite sucks the life out of your firm.   While I can’t help you with the first two business busters, I can show you a way out of Chapter 11 by introducing you to a manpower resource that won’t eat you out of house and home because you only pay to play on a contract basis.   What I’m talking about is what’s known as the Gig Economy.