From unemployed to "Me, Inc."

It turns out necessity could be the mother of more than just invention.

Some people dream of starting a business, but don’t, because there’s too much to lose. (It can be difficult to walk away from the security and benefits of a good job, after all.)

But when the job walks away from the worker, the idea of starting a business is a proposition that goes from “too much to lose” to “nothing to lose” in a big hurry!

I’ve written about this phenomenon before [see “Creating competitors or collaborators” from last February]. But a recent newspaper story reminded me that nothing inspires new business start-ups like old-business lay-offs. I encourage you to walk through this article from the August 22, 2009 NY Times.

Implications: What kinds of business opportunities might emerge, as you think of ways to serve a growing number of people who are now either self-employed, or running a small company of their own?

The small business owner or “company of one” often has rapidly changing needs. Their previous job might have featured insurance and other benefits, an I.T. department if anything when wrong with their laptop, a break room with all the amenities… and a regularly-scheduled paycheck. Now, the CEO of “Me, Inc.,” might just be shopping for things like an affordable group to join for health insurance, a place to go for computer repairs or enterprise solutions, or even something as simple as a new coffee pot. And of course, financial services will be required to help manage the ebb and flow of cash flow that happens with almost every new business start-up.

Beware. The next consumer to walk into your lobby, dealership or store… could really be a company, in disguise.

Mike Anderson