Micro Economic Opportunities

Bethany asked an interesting question the other day: "Why am I seeing so many more Avon catalogs now?"

We were in a restaurant and there was one in the waiting area. We'd seen another somewhere else, and I've been ordering from my friend, Shannon.

John answered: "Because of the economy."

I'm familiar with creating micro economic opportunities overseas. (I own a handbag designed and produced by prostitutes who are trying to get out of the life in Vienna and a necklace of painted beads made by women in Uganda of recycled magazines and newspaper.) However, I hadn't really thought about that need in the US.

Our friends, Lisa and Scott are contractors. Lisa as a medical transcriptionist and Scott as a computer programmer. Like many others, the economy has hit them. Lisa recently started selling Shaklee. I went through the catalog she gave me and decided to get everything that I would normally buy at Whole Foods (vitamins & supplements, organic cleaners, skin care) through Lisa.

In doing so, we discovered a Joint Health Complex. John struggles with pain in his knees. After a week of taking the complex, John is able to play basketball again. (He is thrilled.)

Lisa is also thrilled. She is halfway to Director status and when she gets there, she will have health insurance--something that is cost prohibitive for most contractors. (Link to Lisa's online store here.)

I hadn't thought about creating micro economic opportunities here in the US, but the simple act of ordering through Avon or Shaklee or Premiere Jewelry or Arbonne or a host of other companies can produce micro economic opportunities in your own community. And it doesn't have to be complex. Just a matter of choosing to look for things you buy anyway and making the switch on the items where there isn't a huge difference in cost and can be a huge jump in quality (as I discovered with the vitamins.)