Overcome Your Worst Day Ever: Transitioning from Unemployed Worker to Small Business Owner

This past week I read Fran Tarkenton’s new book, Every Day is Game Day. I was struck by the fact that Fran started his book by discussing what he called his “worst day ever.”  That day for Fran was December 28, 1975, the day that the 1975 Minnesota Vikings – quite possibly the best Vikings team ever assembled – lost to the Dallas Cowboys in a playoff game that put “hail mary” into football parlance forever.  On top of that crushing defeat, Fran’s father suffered a heart attack and passed away in the middle of the game.  Fran found out as he walked across the Metropolitan Stadium parking lot.


Why do I think Fran Tarkenton started his autobiography with his worst day ever?  Because he has had so many good days, weeks, months and years since. 


For many American workers, Labor Day 2009 is a reminder of their worst day ever – the day they lost their jobs.  The latest unemployment statistics do not give these folks reason for optimism – 9.7% unemployment, the highest since the early 1980s.


For many of these workers, however, the opportunity to move beyond their worst day ever lies in starting a business.  Some may find consulting (where they can practice their craft for many companies instead of a single company) to be their niche, while others may find a home-based business to be the best way to replace lost employment income.  Others may have a hot new product idea that they now have time to pursue. 


There are numerous resources available to help these people do what is right to launch their new business; I’ve written about some of these resources here and here


For many unemployed workers, there is no time like the present to take control of your own destiny and “be your own boss” through the launch of a new small business.  If done right, these folks will successfully overcome their worst day ever and, like Fran Tarkenton, be able to look back at that day from a better position in life.