| predict that the world will soon experience an | | | | you'll have a good time, and you and the entertainers |
| economic depression, brought on by a variety of | | | | will end up with more money than when you started. |
| factors, but most particularly Peak Oil - the lessening | | | | Errand Service |
| production of petroleum. (For full information on Peak | | | | On a more personal level than a delivery service, |
| Oil, see Dry Dipstick - | | | | errand services can combine your needs with similar |
| No matter what happens to the economy, you'll | | | | needs of others, to provide services cheaper than you |
| probably still need income. Work continues even in | | | | could do them yourself. This might be pickup and |
| hard times. Sadly, and ironically, at a time when so | | | | delivery, but could also include banking, taking children |
| much more needs to be done, it gets harder and | | | | to after-school classes and sports or pets to the |
| harder for people to actually find jobs. | | | | veterinarian, and a variety of other activities. |
| We can guess what type of jobs might disappear first | | | | Fads |
| as a result of decreasing oil supplies and economic | | | | It would be nice to invent, and get rich off, the next fad. |
| collapse--such as housing construction, highway | | | | But you can also stay in touch with the culture, and |
| construction, just about any kind of construction for | | | | offer low-cost ways for your community to enjoy |
| that matter, credit cards, banking, stocks and bonds, | | | | those fads. |
| overnight tourism (daytrip may do okay), airlines (but | | | | Farming |
| bus and maybe even railroads may do well), the | | | | You don't have to have a huge farm to have a |
| automobile industry and all its related businesses, hotels | | | | healthy farming business. An acre of land and a lot of |
| and motels, drive-through fast-food, car washes, chain | | | | hard work will produce what you need for a |
| stores dependent on cheap goods from China, and so | | | | small-scale business. Consider also specialty items |
| on--but it's probably more useful to try and predict | | | | such as mushrooms, herbs, or sprouts. Because of the |
| what type of jobs and skills will be most needed. | | | | many uses of hemp, that will be a great crop once it's |
| We assume they will involve basic needs--food, water, | | | | legal--or at least possible without enforcement--to |
| health, and the like. There will probably be much more | | | | grow. |
| focus on repairing items than replacing them, so | | | | Herbal Treatments |
| cottage industries like small appliance repair and | | | | You can grow, or forage for, herbs and use them to |
| clothing repair could do well. Escapist entertainment | | | | make healing concoctions, syrups, salves, teas, and a |
| and fads were thriving during the Great Depression of | | | | variety of other healthy items. You could also use |
| the 1930s and there's no reason to believe similar, | | | | flowers for Aromatherapy. |
| low-cost businesses might not do equally well now. | | | | Home Repair |
| But you shouldn't count on someone hiring you. Plan | | | | People will have to do what they can to keep |
| now to work for yourself, providing goods and | | | | everything in their home in working order. If you have |
| services to people who need them. | | | | carpentry, plumbing, electrical and a wide variety of |
| We can't make any guarantees, but the following | | | | other relevant skills, you can be a big help to those |
| ideas are good possibilities. And they should get you | | | | people. You might even have success at teaching |
| thinking in the right direction about other likely | | | | these skills to others. |
| businesses. | | | | Instruction |
| Barter Network | | | | You name it, someone will be interested in it. Whether |
| When people don't have money, they do barter. | | | | it's using tools, playing music, sewing or storytelling. The |
| They've always got stuff--and skills--that they can | | | | lessons likely to do best will be those focused on basic |
| exchange. Set up a barter network, help others do it, | | | | essentials, saving money and protecting health, such as |
| and take a small cut of the action. | | | | gardening, food canning, inexpensive home cooking, |
| Beer and Wine Making | | | | yoga and other health exercises, meditation and |
| No matter how hard times get, people will still want | | | | relaxation, herb foraging and use, and pet care. |
| beer and wine. If you can turn the stuff out at home, | | | | Instructional Video Library |
| you've got an endless supply of barter material. | | | | Considering setting up an instructional video library; |
| Bicycle Sales / Repairs | | | | videos and DVDs that teach people various skills, |
| The first thing you should do right now is run out and | | | | whether they're home or car repair, sewing, musical, |
| buy as many used bicycles as you can. Used bike | | | | language or any of hundreds of other subjects. |
| sales and repairs should do very well. You could even | | | | Raising Chickens and Rabbits |
| add motorcycles and scooters, because of the good | | | | Lots of people might start their own gardens, but very |
| gas mileage they get. | | | | few will raise their own meat. You can take |
| Car Repair | | | | advantage of that by raising chickens and rabbits-and |
| While this is no time to be in the new car sales | | | | other critters if you've got room. |
| business, car repair should be fine as people try to | | | | Rental Library |
| keep their existing vehicles running as long as they | | | | Libraries aren't just for videos and books. Consider |
| can--and as long as they can afford the gas. Consider | | | | offering specialty kitchenware, car and woodworking |
| basic car repair/maintenance where you go to the | | | | tools, games, toys, household repair tools, gardening |
| customer's home to do the service. You might even | | | | equipment and literally anything else you can think of. |
| have luck with ongoing maintenance contracts. You | | | | Seamstress / Tailor / Clothing Alterations |
| could also give car repair classes. | | | | In hard times, people can't afford to simply buy new |
| Cheap Luxuries | | | | clothes to replace slightly worn clothing. Darning socks |
| Even in hard times--actually particularly in hard | | | | will be back again. Sewing and knitting skills are no |
| times--people will want to spoil themselves now and | | | | longer common, nor are sewing machines. Anyone |
| then. But the luxury has to be cheap. It might be a | | | | with these skills will be much in demand. |
| special chocolate chip cookie, or delicious homemade | | | | Small Appliance / Electronics Repair |
| candy. Or maybe it's very special handmade | | | | Till now it's been cheaper to throw away a broken |
| giftwrapping paper. Or fragrant handmade soap or a | | | | radio, telephone, blender, microwave, coffee maker |
| hand-carved wooden toy. | | | | and similar appliances than to have it repaired. That |
| Computer Repair | | | | time is over. With the end of cheap imports, and loss |
| Computer repair and maintenance should do | | | | of income, people will no longer be able to afford new |
| exceptionally well. People will no longer be running out | | | | items. They will either have to do without, or find |
| to buy the latest upgrade (computer, monitor, printer, | | | | someone with the skills to fix them. |
| etc.) but will be more interested in keeping what they | | | | Soap Making |
| have working properly. | | | | Everybody needs soap. While there might not be a |
| Delivery Service | | | | time when you can't find soap to buy, you'll save |
| It makes much more sense to pay a slight fee to have | | | | money, have some fun, and end up with an excellent |
| a store deliver a purchase to you than to get in your | | | | barter item by making your own soap. Here are some |
| car and make a round trip to do it yourself. Smart | | | | more recipes. While you're at it, here are some skin |
| store owners will offer free delivery in order to attract | | | | care recipes. |
| customers. (On a larger scale, companies like UPS and | | | | Toys and Games |
| FedEx should do well.) | | | | There was a time when toys were not |
| Entertainment | | | | mass-produced plastic things. They were carefully |
| People want to be entertained, particularly when times | | | | crafted from wood, cloth and other natural materials, |
| are tough. Consider bringing together talented people | | | | were treasured by the children who received them, |
| to offer live entertainment in neighborhood or | | | | and were passed down from generation to generation. |
| community locations. You probably won't get rich but | | | | Create some yourself, and you'll have customers. |