It's easier to find partners. Not only has the sluggish economy made it easier to find discounts on the capital needed to start a new business, it has also brought the old-fashioned practice of bartering back into style. Trading services is a great way to take advantage of the bad economy, says Kimberly Seals-Allers, author of The Mocha Manual to Turning Your Passion Into Profit, especially if you're starting a new business and need help with website design or accounting, for example. "You'll have a large number of highly qualified individuals [offering their services] who you couldn't have afforded before. It's an opportunity to find talent and negotiate things," she says.
To find a willing partner, visit sites such as Craigslist.com. You can post what you're looking for and what you have to offer and then wait for responses.
It's gratifying. This one is just as true during boom times as well as in a tough economy, but becoming self-employed provides a sense of satisfaction that's hard to come by when working for someone else. "The whole construct of going into an office and working 9 to 5 felt too rigid," says Goodman. "I got bored with the monotony of projects."
Even though she's working harder than she did in the corporate world, Skillings says she finds more value and satisfaction in what she does. She says, "In my corporate job, it didn't feel meaningful. It wasn't something that resonated with me."
Twitter: @alphaconsumer
Reader Comments Read all comments (1)
Nick 1:08AM May 23, 2012