For many Americans, the idea of starting their own business has been a bit of a pipe dream--a risky idea that could only happen if all the stars aligned just right. The current economic disaster has changed all that, and entrepreneurship is now not only a good option, it's the only option for a lot of people.
Here are a few things you need to know about entrepreneurship in the new economy.
The jobs are gone...and they aren't coming back.
This economic disaster is going to recover solely on the backs of small business. The government programs and oversized corporations aren't going to create jobs, in fact some of the most profitable behemoths are continuing to lay off workers, using the economy as an excuse. New businesses have been shouldering the load of job creation for decades...over 80% of new jobs come from companies that are five years old or younger. Starting your own business not only secures your own worklife and financial future, it also will make a positive impact on your local economy.
Entrepreneurship is your best bet to a better life.
Building a business means securing your own future. You can't be laid off, you set your own hours, you even control your own salary. If you want to earn more, you work harder and smarter and grow your business. If you want more free time, you delegate responsibility and take the time you need. Entrepreneurship is the best, if not the only way to take control of your worklife and financial future. Remember, the boss never gets laid off.
It's not risky if you do the work.
Most non-entrepreneurs assume that starting a business means taking a major risk. Experienced entrepreneurs know that's just not true. Launching a successful startup is all about hedging risk by doing your homework and developing a solid plan before you start. Know your product, your competition, and your market inside and out and you will be ready to make the right decisions for your business at just the right time.
Recessions are great for startups.
Many people believe that starting a business right now is a bad idea. After all, money is tight and there are businesses closing their doors all over the country. The truth is that this is a great time to start up. All those closures have flung open doors of opportunity in just about every industry. Resources are cheap and readily available--commercial space leases are more flexible than ever, vendors are desperate to land new customers, and quality employees are hungry and ready to work. And by starting now, your company will be positioned to explode as the economy begins to recover.
You'll never go back.
The vast majority of people who jump into entrepreneurship out of necessity are surprised to discover just how fulfilling the experience really is. We know a former ad executive who is now making documentaries, a former construction VP who runs an education company, and an ex-corporate attorney who is succeeding with a couple of online retail stores. The one thing they have in common? None can even imagine returning to work for somebody else. If you've ever considered going out on your own, now is the time to make it happen!
About the Author: K. MacKillop, a serial entrepreneur, is founder of LaunchX and authors a small business startup blog. The LaunchX System is designed to help entrepreneurs start a business based on their own idea. It includes step-by-step business startup instructions, key software, business tools, and more -- a complete business kit. Visit LaunchX.com to learn more about this revolutionary way to become an entrepreneur.
Researchers from the University of Utah have found a way of harnessing Wi-Fi signals to see through walls
The researchers say that the variation of radio signals in a wireless network can reveal the movements of people behind closed doors or even a wall.
Joey Wilson and Neal Patwari, from the University of Utah, have used the principle of variance-based radio tomographic imaging. The system works by measuring interference between the nodes of wireless devices. If someone passes through that field, the device registers a change in the levels of resistance, and feeds that information back to a computer.
The system can currently only see about three feet through a wall, and is so far only capable of sensing motion. At this stage, it is not sophisticated enough to generate an actual image of what lies beyond the wall, but the research team is confident that this feature could be developed in time.
The researchers said the technology could be used in search and rescue operations, with emergency teams using the same radio technology used by Wi-Fi networks to build a web of sensors around a disaster site, revealing the location of victims and survivors.
"We envision a building imaging scenario similar to the following. Emergency responders, military forces, or police arrive at a scene where entry into a building is potentially dangerous. They deploy radio sensors around (and potentially on top of) the building area, either by throwing or launching them, or dropping them while moving around the building," wrote Wilson and Patwari on the arXiv science forum.
"The nodes immediately form a network and self-localise, perhaps using information about the size and shape of the building from a database (eg Google maps) and some known-location coordinates (eg using GPS). Then, nodes begin to transmit, making signal strength measurements on links which cross the building or area of interest. The received signal strength measurements of each link are transmitted back to a base station and used to estimate the positions of moving people and objects within the building."
