The key issues. Major companies have traditionally dominated the corporate economy and many local business communities.

With "downsizing," some employees may have an option for incentivized early retirement. But at the same time they must worry about the threat of involuntary termination.

Companies are refocusing on what they deem to be their "core" business interests. As a result, many non-strategic or smaller businesses will be closed, sold, or spun off. (In some corporations, anything with the potential of less than $200 million in annual sales is considered "too small.) There are all sorts of opportunities that grow out of this situation.

And entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs always seem to be considering alternative career choices.

But now people who have been corporate employees rather than entrepreneurs have also been thinking a lot about doing something different. For all these constituencies, the goal is to be clear about

Central to the process of presenting the alternatives is a framework that involves not just the two obvious options ("Should I stay?" versus "Should I leave?"). In fact, there are six options:
 

If you stay...	If you go...
Option 1: Your job done well Keep your head down and hope that your current job is not "at risk." Going forward, give your best performance possible to your existing job.	Option 4: A greener pasture? Elect incentivized early retirement (if available) and seek a similar position with a similar company where the skills and experience you have developed will have renewed value.
Option 2: A new approach Redefine your current job or accept a new assignment with the idea that you can demonstrate increased cost-effectiveness by approaching your job creatively... even entrepreneurially.	Option 5: New opportunities Elect incentivized early retirement (if available) and use your skills and experience for a job with an existing entrepreneurial or "emerging growth" company.
Option 3: Growth = stability Look around the company and identify a growth area offering greater stability where your skills and experience could be transferred (either now or eventually).	Option 6: Your own venture Elect incentivized early retirement (if available) and use the payout (and/or other sources of personal funding) to launch your own venture.

The process of deciding what you will do next involves understanding the above framework and the implications of each of the six options. If you decide to move in an entrepreneurial direction — either on your own or as part of a start-up — there is more information available to help you figure out what to do and how to do it. If you elect to stay "inside," the groundrules will come from the corporate culture itself. The choice of which path is best for you are up to you.