IT’S a rough economy out there, but even scarier than the persistent threats of recession; deflation; countries defaulting on their debt; governments’ inability to balance the budget; and other bogeymen is the pace of change itself.

Everything’s changing so fast and the world economy is so volatile that it seems impossible to prepare and plan for the future if you’re a business-owner looking to adapt to change, or if you’re an unemployed corporate executive trying to figure out tomorrow’s job opportunities.

Having said that, though, there are some ongoing changes in our economy that most people agree will probably continue well into the future. These changes, about which entire books have been written, can be easily summarised in 12 little words. Commit them to memory. Write them down on a Post-it; put the note up on your computer, your refrigerator door or somewhere else where it’s readily visible; and read them at least once every day. Once you memorise them, recite them like a mantra, and plan your business or career future with them constantly in mind.

* The future is digital

Make no mistake about it. Brick-and-mortar businesses in just about every industry are succumbing to the siren pull of the Internet. Business models that have been around for decades, even centuries, are slowly but surely disappearing into the “cloud”, never to return to planet earth. Whatever it is you do, sooner or later there will be a virtual solution for it at extremely low cost, and you won’t be able to compete.

Some examples…

* Cheque-cashing outlets? Not necessary in an era of digital payments and debit cards.

* Attorneys, accountants and financial advisors? Think advice and prepared-forms websites you can access for free (or for pennies).

* Printed books and periodicals? Every time you board an airplane, you see more and more Kindles and Nooks and fewer and fewer dead trees.

* Retail and distribution outlets? It’s much quicker and more convenient to shop online than to navigate your local mall — and you can even get free shipping.

Look at your kids or grandkids at work and play. They grew up with the Web. Everything they touch is digital. They are the future; pretty soon (if they don’t already) they will form the core 18- to 35-year-old demographic everyone will be pandering to. That pandering will take place in cyberspace.

* The future is global.

State and national boundaries are meaningless in an era where I can order something directly from an online merchant in Bangladesh who has no physical presence in North America or outsource a key part of my business to a country where they don’t even speak English. Two-thirds to three-fourths of the world’s population is joining the world economy for the first time in human history. Sooner or later, wealth will be more evenly distributed throughout the globe, and few countries or continents will have a competitive advantage over any others. Except where access to local natural resources is critical, any business will be able to be conducted anywhere on Earth.

* The future is freelance.

Ok, maybe that’s 13 words instead of 12… The concept of employment as we know it probably won’t exist in coming decades, or if it will, it probably will be viewed as a temporary stepping stone to something else. The corporate career ladder will disappear.

Instead, people with marketable knowledge and skills will bid to participate in specific projects hosted by companies — or teams — that are, more or less, virtual. They will float from project to project (or work on several projects simultaneously) or from company to company as independent contractors, picking up experience and learning points that will enable them to bid competitively on progressively more advanced — and therefore more lucrative — projects. When they get tired of doing that, they will form virtual companies and begin soliciting virtual teams of their own.

“The future is digital; the future is global; the future is freelance.” Twelve little words that can give you real insight into where future opportunities lie. So how do you take this and translate it into a real action plan? Simple: by recognising that because you can’t beat these trends, you had better join them.

During this holiday season, sit down at your computer with a blank word processor page in front of you and a VSOP Brandy by your side, and ask yourself the following questions: How can I adjust what I do to fit a more digital, global, freelance world? How can I help individuals and businesses adjust to this world?

The people who will make money, survive, thrive and prosper in the coming century will be those who find the answers and act upon them.

— Creators News service