My experience in economics and recessions is limited.  I do however watch the news and keep up with the headlines from across the world.  Lately, I was watching Fox News and there was a bit about a guy who worked for a big automaker and was laid off after 28 years.  This was no surprise and there are probably over 100 thousand job losses similar to this every month.  The news story continued to interview the man about what his plan was and how he was going to provide for his family.  This is where the story caught my attention.  The man decided that instead of looking for another corporate job and answering to the usual 5 bosses watching his every move, he was going to become his own boss.  He grew up fixing things around the house and working for his neighbors.  He always loved working with his hands and the quietness of working alone.  So his idea was this:  I am going to do start a business doing the thing that I love: working on people's homes. 

Now, I understand that this is a difficult economy to start a business.  However, with proper planning and execution, this mom and pops small business could really take off.  So what does he need to start his business?  First I believe he needs a business plan.  In that business plan, he should have outlined who his potential clients are and what his market is.  He should also have an idea as to how he will advertise and market to these prospects.  This is where we come in: he needs to develop a brand with a logo, marketing materials, business cards, and of course a sharp website that shows up in search engines.  All of these things cost money, but they also produce money. And if they are not done well, his business will not do well.  Make it Loud provides the perfect solution to the entrepreneur set on reinventing himself.  No more corporate, hello small business.

After this long drawn out story, the point is this:  I am proud to be in the business that I am right now.  I love what we do.  We provide great business solutions.  But more than that, we provide opportunity for a 50 year old man who just got laid off to start his own business that will not only provide for his family, but it will PROSPER.  Thousands of people are being laid off everyday.  Where are they going to work?  How are they going to provide for their families?  I am not saying that this solution works for everyone, but it does work for many.  We have been getting calls and e-mails from this same situation more and more frequently.  "I got laid off, and I want to start my own business."  I love the fact that we can work with this seamingly hopeless situation and turn it into a prosperous small business.  We are enabling people to do what they love and be successful at it. 

-Jacob Willis