WASHINGTON -- When Bob Bernstein, 60, was laid off from his job as a real estate broker at the height of the recession in 2008, he says he had a feeling it would be a really long time before he found a job in his field again.
"Like everyone else, I asked myself, what do I do now?" Bernstein said. "The real estate market was going down, so I was not going to find another broker position."
Since there were no jobs in his field, Bernstein decided he was going to have to create a job for himself. He had owned some retail clothing stores for about fifteen years, but he no longer had the energy to deal with landlords, bring in inventory, hire employees and maintain hours. So he decided to take all his entrepreneurial ideas to the web.
"I thought that with the right domain name, whatever creative concept I could come up with could generate some income and maybe even compete against the big guys," Bernstein told HuffPost.
Since he lacked the technical skills to write all the code for a website, he teamed up with DevHub.com, a 2007 start-up company that makes it easy for people with ideas to create lucrative websites using drag-and-drop tools and a built-in network of web advertisers.
Since 2008, Bernstein has eked out a living for himself by creating twelve different websites using DevHub.com, including a travel discount site (DealstoVegas.com), an outdoor sporting goods store (Outtrek.com), a job search hub (Careersquick.com), and a website dedicated to comparing health insurance quotes (RXCare.org).
Bernstein's most lucrative site to date, ZipQuote.com, is a place where users can type in their zipcodes and receive free insurance quotes based on their locations. The site was so successful he moved it off of the DevHub platform and is now treating it as a full-time job.
"My focus and dedication to Zipquote is as if I'm opening a business," said Bernstein, who is now in the process of trademarking the website's name. "It's only been in its current state for about five months, and it makes between $500 and $1000 a month. Hopefully, as I start to promote it, it will grow further and further."
Bernstein said that it's now so easy for him to create websites that he created one last week in the course of a day, and it's made him $50 so far.
"You can literally open anything up online in a day," he told HuffPost. "It's amazing."
DevHub CEO Geoff Nuval said he knows of a number of unemployed people who have used his site to start generating income and, for the lucky ones like Bernstein, to eventually become fully self-employed.
"We launched our newest version in late June, and from that version we already have over 60,000 users," Nuval said. "There are a bunch of people who are unemployed or not working at the moment who are using our platform to make some extra cash on the side. It takes away the tech hurdles, so all they have to do is put in the creativity."
Although Bernstein says he isn't making quite as much money running websites as he did in real estate, he does make enough to support his family, and he never wants to go back to his old job.
"I get to work from home, I'm totally focused on what I do because I know it's all for my family and our future, and I'm building a business that is mine, rather than working for someone else and building their business," he said. "It's absolutely rewarding and totally satisfying. I could do this sixteen hours a day."
How have you been coping with the recession? Please send your stories to LBassett@huffingtonpost.com.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.