Are You An "Accidental Entrepreneur"? Tell Us Your Recession Start-Up Story!

The recession has upended a millions of lives. But, as The New York Times pointed out recently, it's also created a new class of "accidental entrepreneurs." Either by necessity, sheer ingenuity or just plain luck, thousands of the newly unemployed have formed their own small companies in the last year.

Here's how the NYT described this trend:

"The most recent Index of Entrepreneurial Activity by the Kauffman Foundation showed a slight uptick of new businesses in 2008 -- a full recessionary year -- over 2007. An average of 320 Americans out of 100,000 formed a business each month, Kauffman said. What's more, it found, the patterns "provide some early evidence that 'necessity' entrepreneurship is increasing and 'opportunity' entrepreneurship is decreasing."

Much has been written about the entrepreneurial opportunities offered by recessions - companies like FedEx, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft were all formed during downturns. But, entrepreneurship may be naturally ad hoc. Here's how tech entrepreneur (and co-founder of Intel) Gordon E. Moore put it: "There is such a thing as a natural-born entrepreneur... But the accidental entrepreneur like me has to fall into the opportunity or be pushed into it."

With that in mind, HuffPost Business is looking for some of the best and most inspiring "accidental entrepreneurs" who've founded a company during the recession. Tell us your story! Write to [e-mail] and send us a short description of how you launched your own company during this recession (please don't forget this part.) Also, please include a picture of you and your company. (We'll be looking for creative photos that show off your new endeavor.) We'll be compiling a list and a map of some of our favorites, and we'll include your photos.

Here's how it works: hit the participate button, leave your description and mark the location of where your photo was taken by searching for an address in the box on the top right of the map, upload your photo and hit submit.

Accidental Entrepreneurs

 

Find a picture, click the participate button, add a title and upload your picture

Any additional information can be sent to [e-mail].

Comments

[dmulvi]

www.flutterstep.com

I started a business during recession - free messaging platform that can be used to host a variety of private and public conversations over the internet, using SMS/text or email. Businesses, schools, teams, communities and families can use flutterstep.com to set up password protected or invitation only groups and conversations where members can quickly exchange information via the web, email or cell.

Give it a try!

[Julene]

Present By Design is a company I started during the recession that creates gifts for life’s celebrations. One of my first products was Fortune Tootsies, baby socks with fortunes on the bottom such as “You will sleep through the night soon.” They have been lucky indeed! My best selling creation has been jewelry made from wood tiles from Scrabble games. Scrabble has been a mainstay in my family for generations, and it was my Grandma who always told us “never leave a triple open.” It was a natural fit. Currently, I’m working on a line jewelry made from wine corks - one bottle at a time… Recycling is great, but up-cycling is even better!

http://www.presentbydesign.com/

[wm1]

My wife and I, both over 50, were unable to find employment despite decades of experience and multiple degrees. We started an online spice company called Juliet Mae Spices. Our idea was to sell highest quality hand made products. A couple of things; do it yourself, and stay with your vision. I cannot tell you how many experts told us to use cheap ingredients or sub out the actual work to some efficient factory. The attitude seems to be if you aren't cutting corners and generally trying to fool your customers, you are not a good business person. Well we are doing well by not following that advice. When people ask us what is our secret to success we tell them it is called" hard work".

[flooded318]

Recently my handicapped son asked about going to college. He has Down Syndrome, but he's very active and fully integrated at high school. He said he wanted to make some money to help pay for the costs. He loves music and often draws these neat rock inspired drawing. My wife had an idea to print the drawing on a few t-shirts and sell them to family and friends.

The shirts took off and became a hit. He now sells the shirts at various events and donates some of the proceeds to children's charities. We are so proud of him. He even has an online store.

It all started so humble but now it's doing great.

http://grouphugapparel.com/

[orangeheat]

I started a kids apparel line called orangeheat that is eco-friendly without the preachy crunchies!

http://www.orangeheat.com

[MikeysAsylum]

You won't succed with any business by sitting on your rear waiting. I started mine in 78 ( no job since) in the worst economy since the depression. I had no money, no brians, just drive.

I was dumb 19 year old. Since then I've started many businesses, some successful, others miserable failures. I've survived by not borrowing much money and objectively studying the market before starting a new one. Too many dreamers go in blind and borrow thousands to start new or open a franchise and never bust the their butts to bring cusotmners in the door. Waiting for customers to make move first brings surefire death to your dream.
I still own my first business. Shoulda went to work a job many times, but I kept going. Life was rough, I'll tell anyone that. Went broke several times, lost homes, vehicles, lived in cars, but you know what? I have no regrets.

Through all the hard times and good, although not filthy rich, I'm still here, married to the same wife, 3 kids, very few expenses. That's a secret to keeping afloat, a simple life. I've had the toys, now at 52, all we want is to wake up the next day and enjoy. So I say to anyone starting new biz or against the idea, you never know where you'll land until you jump. If it don't kill you, you get up off your butt and go.
Mikey
http://www.theacquisitioner.com
http://www.mikeyspinstriping.com

[lgcbuilder]

I started a small internet biz in April of 2008, tying in with my audio hobby of 30 yrs. In August of 08, I realized it could really be something, borrowed a pretty good chunk of money, had the site professionally redone, bought a pile of inventory. Then the bottom fell out of the economy in September. It shut me down for about 2 weeks, I thought "what have I done. Then it came roaring back, and hasn't let up since. I have another bricks and mortar business, and between the two I'm putting in 70-80hrs a week. I haven't had this much fun in years.

[lgcbuilder]

Guess I should post a link.
www.speakerhardware.com

[lgcbuilder]

http://www.speakerhardware.com/

[Don McNay - Huffpost Blogger]

I became an "accidental entrepreneur" during the last recession in 1982. 27 years later, the business is still going strong.

I came out of graduate school at Vanderbilt to high unemployment, especially in my chosen career of government service. The only job I could find was working on the cleanup crew at the Kentucky Horse park.

Cleaning up after horses will open your mind to considering other opportunities.

One of my former college instructors was in the financial planning business. He had been elected to city council during that time and I had been the campaign's only employee. He got me interested in the world of financial planning and it was a natural fit. I started my own company and made to the Million Dollar Round Table, my second year in business. I could survive on little money as I was still living like a college student and when the economy turned around, I had the skills and knowledge to take advantage of it.

If I had come out of college to a strong job market, I would have gone into government and worked my way to middle management by this point in my life. I got a lucky break that no one would hire me.

Being broke and out of work is the perfect time to start a business. To quote Bob Dylan, "when you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose.

Don McNay

[ScootBoot]

Good for the environment, saves you money and a ton of fun:

www.scootboot.com

[SouthernJewel]

Lotta nice biz's here.
I've bookmarked them and will shop them when I can.
Congrats and much success wished your way!

[julie1215]

I started a very small sort of business when my husband lost his job last year. I paint portraits, it's my one skill- family portraits, pet portraits, portraits from vintage family photos. www.mygoodbabushka.etsy.com
I am just trying to help keep a roof over our heads until things turn around. I don't expect to get rich. If anyone out there can help or forward my link to anyone who might be interested I would be grateful.
I wish I could get featured on the news, like that apple mortgage cake lady!

[phredralf]

Yes, I left my job by choice last summer, started a new company and have jumped into iPhone app development. This economic environment is exciting; inventive and interesting things happen when people are uncomfortable. I'm poised to produce more visionary apps. If there are any potential app investors and producers reading, please get in touch, I have a pocketful of worthy ideas and the energy, skill set, development and design resources to bring them to life. www.smashart.com

[baxterblack]

Oh, I forgot to add: casino revenue is also through the roof.

[baxterblack]

Yes. Beer/ammo/­gun/cigare­tte/skin mag sales are through the roof.

[DrewryMedia]

I like how that sounds..."­Accidental Entrepreneur" :-)

http://www.ShawnDrewry.com