[riri]

I wasn't giving you a hard time, I was just kinda thinking out loud. I question, now, how 80% of the businesses I see stay afloat. Here in Phoenix we have a Subway in every strip mall. If not there is a Blimpie, Quizno's or something jut like it. And I wonder---how, why?

But anyway, yeah, I don't know. These threads scare the crap outta me. I am planning on starting school in August to work toward my masters and I am really starting to question if I should.

After I got raked over the coals at the aesthitician's office Monday, I am seriously thinking of taking the six months of classes and getting licensed to do that. I figure, if nothing else, it can't be outsourced, I can make friends in the field and have the services done for free and get the products really cheap.

I am just not sure who's going to be around to afford these kind of purely indulgent services...

[searchandrecovery]

After I got raked over the coals at the aesthitician's office Monday...

Ok, before we proceed, what is the bold word above?

[lelio]

These threads scare the crap outta me

You and me, and a couple of dozen other people on here.

six months of classes and getting licensed to do that [ anesthesia ]

I take it you mean a nurse anestesiologist, as a "doctor" one would take a lot of schooling. Are you already a registered nurse? I doubt if you can just jump into that field without some credentials. Here's a job site for people in the industry.
That might be a safe field, but there's talk about bringing in H1b's to handle our nursing "shortage" (there's no shortage, its just a shortage of supply at low wages).

That's the problem with getting into any field that shows a potential of wage growth: your government is going to work against you.

[lelio]

Here in Phoenix we have a Subway in every strip mall.

The thing going for Subway is that its frequently staffed by one or two people. I've never seen one with more than four in it. Contrast that with Taco Bell or McDonalds where it seems like a dozen people are always there plus two managers.
Subway's able to do this as they offer really only one product: food on bread. The food items don't have to be cooked for the most part and can be slapped together easily. In McDonald's there's the stovetop, deep frier, milkshake maker, etc. One guy can't do all that.
But what gets me about the franchising business is the amount of capital you have to have before getting into it. Its upwards of $250k! Why would anyone with that type of cash want to buy something that they're going to have to stand in for 16 hours a day until they can find some trustworthy employees that won't rip them off is beyond me.

[searchandrecovery]

I wasn't giving you a hard time,...

No offence taken.

I am just not sure who's going to be around to afford these kind of purely indulgent services...

Aesthetician! New to me. If you have a service that targets the rich (well, and actually works) that will probably work. Geez, set up a spa. Make them feel (look?) gorgeous.

But yea, I'm kinda concerned, too. It seems like the rules have changed and no one's acknowledging it.