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I just had a phone call from a telemarketer on my business line. Nothing unusual, I get them all the time. I know they’ve got a job to do but frankly I get sick of it. I’m a sole proprietor and don’t have unlimited funds to splash around from one service to another.

Today’s caller really annoyed me though. He wanted to know about my mobile phone service and when I said I wasn’t in the market for a new phone his immediate response was ‘oh, I’m not selling anything.’

Yeah, sure. I get that one a lot too. Then he proceeded to ask if I was under contract because if I was that would stop the calls. So of course I responded and asked if that was the only condition? He said ‘no’ and then told me it could depend on other things. And then I asked what if I wasn’t under contract? to which he replied there were still some conditions.

I asked what would I have to do to get off the list and he said answer these questions and then started to ask how many mobile phones the company (my business) had and… I hung up on him.

What right do they think they have to all the information about what phones I have, how many, who I’m under contract to and whatever else they wanted to ask? I get the same on my home line asking how much we owe on our mortgage, how many people live in our home, what ages are they, how much income do we get and so it goes on and on and…

How do you feel about this intrusion of privacy? Because that’s what it is. I’d like to know when it was deemed ok to start asking personal information for their records. And while I’m on the subject, that goes for any membership type websites that ask for your birth date before they’ll let you join whatever club it is. I mean, what’s with that? It’s not their business when my birth date is and I really do not want to give that information out. Too many organisations know too much about individuals now – why should I make it any easier for them?

Ok, so I’ll get off my soapbox now, I’ve had my rant, but perhaps you feel the same way too, and I invite your comments. KMT

intrusion of privacy, telemarketers

Tags: Author's Thoughts by Kathie Thomas
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I get regular updates from Smart Company here in Australia and a recent article highlighted the difference between someone who is an employee and one who needs/wants to be an entrepreneur. Where do you think you belong? Would you like the flexibility and freedom of being an entrepreneur or do you prefer the stability of being an employee?

The Agony Aunt comes up with some great stuff in her column and this latest one is no exception.  The book she quoted I’d not heard of before, but I loved the chart she put up and I thought I’d share it with you. How do you fair in the test? I’ve love to hear about it!

Oh, so now entrepreneurship is the Gen Y answer to boredom. Jennifer, maybe you need a shrink, not a business. Why not try this poll? I found it in a book called Entrepreneur… and Beyond, By Alex McMillan.

Test yourself out on this.

Employee thinking

Entrepreneur thinking

To see the rest of this article, click here.

entrepreneur, employee, business owner, self-employed

Tags: Business Operations, Self-employed, Work From Home by Kathie Thomas
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