The "New" Economy

So I have unearthed what I consider to be a phenomenon of this new age that we're living in....WORKING FOR NO PAY! Now maybe I'm old-fashioned but I don't think expecting some sort of paycheck - salary, draw, SOMETHING - is too much to ask for!?
There seems to be an entire group of "business owners/leaders" in the Upstate of SC are fervently networking and social media-ing and sipping coffee, smoking cigars in an effort to grow their business while wanting those of us who are seeking work to slave away as "commission-only" employees....without benefits....without a contract....
I put business owners/leaders in quotes, by the way, for a very good reason. These are people who seem to have some sort of LLC or DBA situation, SEEM to work very hard as they're always running around, SEEM to have new ideas, SEEM to have their finger on the pulse of Upstate business....but, at the end of the day, they're cashless, stressed out, burning business bridges and wearing out their welcomes at many of the reputable business affinity groups in the area and spending what little cash they do have on cigars, liquor and coffee....oh and fancy technology gadgets, too. Apparently it's a requirement to have an iPhone or comparable toy to be a member of this group.
So, if you're reading this and you're truly wanting to grow your business, move away from the idea that people are desperate enough to work for nothing but the promise of a "big payoff" down the road. Buck up, put your big boy boxers/big girl panties on and write a solid business plan, get a REAL loan from a REAL bank and carefully choose employees that will actually bring you a real return for real pay.
Just a thought.....