Best Businesses of the Next Millennium

Many workers who are on a payroll of a large company,  are often requested to work at home much of the time.  Using the internet or intranet, work can be sent in to the central office. Communication is immediate and it really makes little difference where the employee is located. In fact, many companies that employ workers that sell computer services use this system today.

   The scarcity of skilled workers  and the new technology of "smart" machines- computers that do much of the work, respond to voice commands and link you instantly with sophisticated data from all over the world-will precipitate changes in traditional ways work has been done in the past and in management's superior attitude toward employees.

    Some of the changes:
    There no longer will be a "typical" workplace. Many of the people who now work at your side, in one location, will be working out of their homes or  from offices or plants throughout the world, linked by automation and instant telecommunications.
 
     Instead of the traditional "military' way of management in which the boss (the 'general') gives orders   and the workers (the "troops) obediently follow   them/ the emphasis will be on skilled, educated workers making important decisions for themselves   about their work priorities and schedules. The   present managerial attitude that executives know all   the answers and workers know very little will be working out of their homes or  from offices or plants throughout the world, linked   by automation and instant teleconnnunications.
 
      The current erosion of middle managers will accelerate as those who actually perform the work add   managerial responsibilities to their job descriptions. And teamwork, slowly being introduced in   the 1990s, will be widespread with worker-managers planning projects in a collaborative   rather than competitive environment, working in   offices and plants with top executives to set corporate agendas.
 
    In an information society, continuing education   will be one of the most important factors in professional advancement. Throughout their careers,workers will be asked to upgrade their computer,   mathematical and technical skills; to develop communication and interpersonal techniques; and to   appreciate the cultures of clients and colleagues in   the global marketplace. They will be required to   take courses both at the workplace and in outside   educational settings.
 
    • Liberal arts majors will be vigorously recruited by   employers who previously went after business majors. MBAs (master of business administration) will   still be in demand, but those with a strong background in the humanities will be preferred.

    • The "old boy" network in which white males share   inside information and power only with other   white males will be challenged by the influx into   the workplace of women, minorities and immigrants. The result will be more parity in hiring,   wages, training and advancement for all qualified   employees.

    • Flexible hours will replace many of today's traditional 9-to-5 jobs because of the numbers of women   in the workforce. By the 21st century, the so-called   Yuppie emphasis on "the quality of life" and "personal life styles will blend into an overriding concern for findding time for both work and family. Many worker managers will work 60 hour weeks.

 The categories of Best Businessess and  jobs in them are listed in alphabetical order. The categories are:
     • Business and Financial Services
     • Education, Government and Social Services
     • Engineering and Computer Technology
     • Health Care Professions
     • Hospitality Industry
     • Management and Office Personnel
     • Manufacturing, Repair, Construction, Agriculture   and Transportation
     • Media and the Arts (includes computer art)
     • Sales and Personal Services
 
      Some categories are much larger than others. Engineering's growth, for example, is due to the economy's shift to service and high-tech professionals. The growth in health care is due to the aging of the American population and to the thousands of Americans without health care coverage, which means they are much sicker and in need of critical care when they finally seek medical care.  The above information comes from the files of the US. Department of Labor and its Monthly Labor Review.

        The really looming question of the next millennium is "Will the internet change the way business is done all over the world?" Many economists wonder if the rich will make most purchases on the internet and bypass the traditional retail store. Better prices are available on the internet because of the lower overhead and startup costs. A three year moritorium on state sales taxes by the Federal Govenment has given internet shoppers a big incentive to shop there too! Shoppers are realizing this and the growth of sales on the internet is alarming traditional retailers. In fact many retailers already see the handwriting and most are setting up sites to sell their wares. It's only a matter of time before retailers will discover that the internet is more profitable for them and their customers, and began systematically closing down the traditional sites.

     The next big questions is "Where will the poor people shop?" These are the people who own no computer and do not have access to the cyber world. Will they will be served by the traditional retailers who charge higher prices? Two classes of shoppers will emerge; the rich who get the most bang for their buck on the internet, and the poor who shop at higher prices in their home town.

    Work-at-home systems have been around for two centuries. The swiss used this system for over one hundred years and quickly became the wealthiest country in the world. They produced mechanical watches and music boxes in each village. Each village was a factory in which each craftsman worked at home producing a part for the watch or box. Once a week the parts were taken to a central assembly area in the center of the village, where items were assembled and shipped all over the world.

    The system had many advantages. If each worker was required to report to the factory each day, the overhead would have been greater. In effect, the worker was providing a part of the overhead by working at home. All that was really expected of him was that he produce an expected number of parts. Where he performed the service  was of little concern.

       The instant communication offered by the internet is changing the  face of business as we enter the 21st century. Large companies produce the great quantities of basic products needed by many while the smaller systems individualize products for each customer.  It's likely that these two systems will flourish together in the next millennium. Large companies with huge manufacturing plants will do well because expensive and large equipment is required to make  products for millions of consumers, and in-home service/production is also needed for the custom projects of individual customers.

 In conclusion, the beginning of the next millenium will be an exciting time in the business world.  Workers should be able to find just the right niche by being vocal about what they  desire. If personal goals cannot be served with a company, anyone can begin a small business that offers specialized services, often to a larger company.

   

I hope this information helps you in your business endeaver.You may copy and print this article. For more information read Reynold Jay's book    How To Think Small Business For Big Profits  and Born To Be Rich for business motivation. (CLICK for more information.)