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07-21-2010, 01:45 PM
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Lowengard is offline Lowengard
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Do you believe that your friend is caught in the backlog because he is trying to run a business on the side, or is it because there's a backlog, period? It's not exactly clear here.

Because laws about claiming unemployment vary by state, you probably need to discuss this with someone locally. I can imagine your reluctance to discuss with the unemployment counselor assigned to you--how about going to SCORE (the Small Business Administration's advisory service), or calling the state unemployment hotline?

My interpretation of the comment in the FAQ is that if you are freelancing a little while you look for a full time job then it's not a problem with unemployment. Unemployment is not a reward for being fired, but a system to tide you over until you can right yourself and find a new job. Once you decide to form your own company instead of looking for work, you have, in essence, found your next job.

If you're only thinking about this now, here are some ideas to consider:
  • remain a sole proprietorship for the time being, rather than incorporating. This will let you test the waters without signaling to your unemployment counselor that your in the process of establishing a business.
  • just as you document the time you spend looking for a job, document the time you spend working on your business plans. This would be one way to establish how serious you are about either prospect.
  • it usually takes 3-5 years to get a business out of startup and to the point where it can sustain itself--and you. A solid grounding will go a long way toward making this a shorter period. Perhaps, as you're working out the details of your unemployment eligibility, you can investigate such things as need, markets, work on your portfolio etc --all things that would benefit your presentation to a potential employer.

Cheers!

Sarah

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