For this Blog Action Day post, I decided to explore a bit of the poverty that flourishes right here in my own country. Being the “richest” (I use this term loosely, as we are swimming in trillions of dollars of debt right at the moment) nation in the world, it’s hard to fathom our own citizens being unable to enjoy seemingly ordinary things like education, healthcare, clothing, or even food. According to the 2007 Census Bureau numbers, in 2007, 37.3 million people were in poverty, up from 36.5 million in 2006. Certainly that number can be expected to climb, given our current economic situation. When you look at these figures, what pops into my mind is that common airplane speech we get at the beginning of a flight: “Help yourself, then help the others around you.” It makes sense in this case, too.

For my part as a solopreneur, I feel like if I am on solid footing, I’m both able and willing to help those around me. During the year, I speak at certain events free of charge, I donate to a few organizations I love supporting, I donate material goods whenever possible, plus, I promote volunteerism in my home and community. So for the common business person, are these things you can do, even when monetary resources are scarce? Of course you can, and here are some ideas: