High Stakes on Start-ups

>>After 22 years with a local radio station, Bob Grissinger was in his early 50s in 2006 when he suddenly found himself out of his job as programming director and on-air personality at WINK-FM. He had expected to continue with the station until retirement. Instead, he had to figure out what to do next. He’s now the proud co-owner of Bennett’s Fresh Roast in downtown Fort Myers, capitalizing on his passion for fresh-roasted coffee and Pennsylvania Dutch-style doughnuts.

Grissinger and his partner have taken a measured approach to their new business, and Bennett’s is chalking up gains almost every month. But small business counselors warn that entrepreneurship is not always the answer to unemployment. With the downturn in the economy, countless people are in situations similar to Grissinger’s. They’re keeping business analysts with Florida Gulf Coast University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) busy, but many are desperate and poorly prepared.

"We have seen a lot of people laid off who can’t find a job, so they think they’re going to start their own business," says Judy Pultro. A certified business analyst with the SBDC, she works in the Cape Coral office, which is located next to the Career and Service Center. "We see a lot going back and forth [between the offices]," she adds.

They hope that starting a business will solve their problems, but many haven’t done the research to help it succeed. They don’t have the money to start it—or to live on until the business starts generating revenue.

"I sit with them and talk through their ideas," says Pultro. "They think, ‘I’ll do a landscaping service or a pool service.’ Unfortunately those are also the industries we see struggling. As budgets tighten, people decide they can cut their own grass," she says.

"You want to be positive, but don’t want them to make mistakes," she adds. "I encourage them to work with the Career and Service Center and continue to [look for] work."

DO YOUR HOMEWORK