Get a New Job— Entrepreneur

This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week, focused on encouraging people around the world to bring new ideas and services to the marketplace. If you are looking for alternatives to solving your unemployment dilemma, becoming an entrepreneur may be the route for you. If you are a freelancer or have taken on contract work that you arranged yourself, you already qualify as an enterprising individual.

An entrepreneur is defined by Merriam Webster's as “One who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise,” but what it takes to be entrepreneurial goes beyond this generic description.

All the same skills and attributes you need to apply to job hunting are basic to starting a business: market research; believing in your idea and yourself; having a goal; building a plan; networking; marketing; persistence; and a base of knowledge. But, is this a good time to be an entrepreneur, with the economy still weak? Opinions differ, but if your risk level is low and you need little capital to get started, it just might be the best time to start a business. Before taking the plunge, though, do your research, get some advice and check your own finances.

There are many free and low cost local resources for prospective and active entrepreneurs throughout the U.S., especially through the Small Business Administration, SCORE, and your local government’s small business development agency. Because these groups want businesses to succeed, they offer training classes to get you started as well as ongoing advice and support.

Entrepreneurship may not be for you—it requires hard work, attention to detail, long hours and sometimes low self pay until the business is sustainable—but with a solid plan and mentoring, you may find that being your own boss is right for you.

See these articles for commentary on whether a recession is a good time to start a new business:

Five reasons why a recession is a good time to start a company

Is Now a Good Time to Start Up?

Starting a Business in a Downturn