Sharing is Caring!
Broke is temporary, poor is eternal.
Desperately poor people need to learn skills and need inspiration to continue on the daily grind.
Loans with very low interest rates are inaccessible to the poor in this country. And student loans are no different. Debt is bad, no matter how it's used.
It's a short-term solution to a long-term cash flow problem, especially in the United States.
I come from a lower middle class background and understand that people who need credit lines and loans the most are unable to procure them in this country.
Fortunately, poor people, particularly African-American, Mexican, and Haitian people have found alternatives through social institutions such as churches to exchange goods and services.
As a result, people in these neighborhoods have to learn how to be leaders in the community, diligent and honest to make money.
I grew up in these very impoverished communities, but learned eventually how to touch type, even though I could hardly type before coming to Carnegie Mellon.
I have made a commitment to learn how to code within the year. It's increasingly easy to learn these things without getting into huge amounts of student loan debt or mooching off one's parents to pay for school.
In college, you learn the best ways to take orders and work for a company as opposed to how to run a business and start hiring people within your community.
You can go to the library if you do not have an internet connection at home, or you can go to the coffee shops in your neighborhood.
Internet connection in your house, condo, or apartment is not a necessity. Most of my life, I did not have a television, could not afford cable, and instead of watching television, I developed a love of reading.
Instead of cruising the internet and using social networking sites incessantly, why not learn something that may actually help you in the future?
Quora has interesting discussions, but most of the content on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other sites is not actually productive.
This week, I am going to sell many of my old books either through Amazon, eBay, or just through local book stores.
Furthermore, I am going to interview with various companies. Advertising and marketing are key components to business success and I take a great deal of time ensuring that I look presentable.
Of course, some might call this being high maintenance, but it makes sense, especially for black men, since society harbors stereotypes about our appearance.
One never wants to appear as a thug when seeking employment, so it's important to actually take the time to buy clothes that fit, to be well groomed and to study the language of professional people. Etiquette is also highly important because people on the job are not interested in forming deep connections most of the time.
In the past, I've entertained over fifty people at once. I lived in a Penthouse.
The apartment had five rooms, an excellent living room, and an outdoor patio. The place was excellent for hosting dinner parties, barbeques, and just networking in general.
Back in those days, I never charged for cooking, but after a while I realized that I could work as a caterer and advertise my services using "Appointron," which is on this website as well as word of mouth to make money on the side.
I could also work hard on becoming self employed.
Elance is a community that encourages freelancing and there are plenty of others.
I have learned, through trial and error to use the money you make to re-invest in your business.
The next few hundred that I make will go into becoming a notary public. Since I model, I can also work as a photographer's assistant.
Another way to freelance services is to ask to work under barbers. Many lucrative barbers are seeking help and some of them will let you bypass the year-long process and start making money through tips and just sweeping the floor of these shops.
If you attend university, do not just go to class, go to office hours, go to study sessions and ask about tutoring, or working as a teacher's assistant.
Besides working within the university system, some professors may need help with gardening, landscaping, baby-sitting, and other services. It is important to advertise yourself constantly.
Business is fundamentally about relating to people.
Without skills, you can still get ahead in this society, you just have to be extremely skilled at multitasking.
Please Re Tweet!