Have you by chance seen a movie called "The Company Men" with Ben Affleck? It's about a group of highly successful men who get dumped by their big corporation and find themselves out of a job. It's a very rocky road for all of them. In fact, one of the former employees is so depressed he opts to self-distruct rather than go back on the job market at a mature age. In the end (which I hope I'm not spoiling for you) they find the answer is starting a company of their own. Who knew?

For some reason starting your own business is often the last thing a person thinks of when they get laid off. If you think that every business owner started their small business because they were dreaming of business ownership for years, you'd be wrong. People start businesses for many reasons, one of which is unemployment.

In today's marketplace security is just a memory of times past (if it ever was really true). Working for someone else gives you the illusion of security, but your safety is always in someone else's hands. You are but a part of a machine, and it only makes sense to jettison you if the machine needs it.

There are many myths about business ownership. Do you need a lot of capital behind you? Depends on the business. Many businesses have been started on a couple of thousand dollars.

Do you need to know what you are doing? No. If that were true, most businesses would never get off the ground. There is tremendous support both from other businesses to government sponsored development corporations to point you in the right direction. Many small business networking groups generate workshops on management topics, not to mention the glut of information on the internet. Line up a group of trusted advisors and take their advice.

Think you have to come up with something totally unique. Try not to invent a new wheel. If you want to succeed, your chances are greatly enhanced by doing something that has already proven successful. There is always room for new entrepreneurs and many communities will openly embrace you.

When deciding what kind of business to start, look at your own skill set and personality. Do you like working with people, or would you rather sit behind a computer all day? Are you a good writer? Creative? Energetic? Social? If you do a little homework, you will love what you are doing and success follows naturally.

Yes, starting a business can be terrifying. It's a leap of faith that millions take every day. But know this...you will never get rich working for someone else. You never will have the freedom you can enjoy as a business owner working for "the man." So, don't let your fears stop you.

Owning your own business is the most exhilarating, hardest and most satisfying thing you will ever do. And, once you're successful, they can't fire you!