An interesting read: How a new jobless era will transform America (The Atlantic). It doesn’t paint a particularly rosy picture in social terms, it’s rough. But, I reckon times like these there are great opportunities for being entrepreneurial, just not relying on the predominant methods.

I started my business (the one the Upstarta principles were derived from) before the GFC, and when it hit I actually found myself better positioned and my business continued growing and in fact flourishing. I find that inspiring, not just economically but also socially – as my life is better for it.

In the end, I think that recession and joblessness is a state of mind on a very personal level – if you wait for work to pop up in your area or your government to do something, indeed things can look bleak. But you could also take the initiative, and start something yourself, differently. There’s always opportunity, you only need to look around you with the right mindset. It won’t be a get-rich-quick goldmine, but it’s likely to be profitable enough for a decent living and a lot of satisfaction.

If you need some help with this, that’s what Upstarta is for. Doing it all on your own is hard, slow, and actually much less fun. What are you going to explore?