When Liz de Nesnera noticed the front page story in the New Jersey Star Ledger, she was excited. After she read it, however, she felt she wanted to get into the conversation. Here’s the letter she wrote in response.
I wanted to send you a note regarding your article “Wall St. survivors: Former financial executives reinventing themselves as entrepreneurs” which appeared in today’s Star Ledger. While I applaud the five people you featured, and wish them the very best in their new endeavors, I felt that your article was a bit skewed. Every person you wrote about bought into a franchise.
While this is one way to start your own business, it’s not the only way, nor is it necessarily the most feasible way for everyone who gets laid off. Those that get laid off may not have the $15,000, let alone $100,00 available to buy in.
I was laid off in May of 2005 from a job I held for 9 years. Like many of those you mentioned in your article, I decided that it was “now or never” for me to take that leap and go out on my own. As the primary caregiver to my mother who had a stroke 14+ years ago, I started a resource website for Caregivers which I still maintain as a labor of love.
Then I went back to my love of voice over and recording and am now a successful a full-time freelance bi-lingual (English/French) voiceover artist with clients all over the world. After almost four years I can say that I am making a living, able to pay my bills and LOVE what I do! (You can see what I do and hear my demos at www.HireLiz.com) My initial investment of a website host, new computer, professional microphone, professional recording equipment and software, as well as the sweat equity of setting up my recording space and websites were MUCH less than the lowest $15,000-franchise-buy-in quoted in your article.
With the help of friends I have made along the way, plus a lot of networking, joining relevant professional associations as well as online sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, I am living my dream of being my own boss. Like many of those featured in your article I work long hours, but frankly it doesn’t feel like work because I’m passionate about what I do.
I’m thrilled that the people you mentioned have found their niche. I just wanted to provide an alternate non-franchised perceptive from someone who has been there, and is now happier than ever working for themselves.
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