 TITLE: How to Make Money Without a Job CONTENT: Consider Starting a Business\n----------------------------\nIs now really a good time to start a business? Opportunity sometimes springs out of extraordinary circumstances. For many who have been furloughed or laid off during the pandemic—or who've needed to stay home with school-age children—necessity has been a motivator. If you have in-demand skills to share, a sure-fire product or service idea and the resources to launch and market a business, starting your own business could be more feasible than you think. Ask yourself these questions:\n**Do you have a skill you can market?** Suppose you've been laid off from your job as a human resources manager. Could you outsource your skills to local businesses by the hour? You might be able to recoup your income and retain the flexibility to work from home and set your own hours.\n**Do you have an idea that solves a problem?** Maybe you've invented a marketable product. Or you've cooked up the perfect recipe for a mobile, contact-free dessert delivery service. You may even see an opportunity to step into a local business someone is trying to sell. While it's essential to think through the market challenges of starting a business in 2021, viable markets still exist. Your pandemic business idea may still have legs once the pandemic is over, or you may be able to evolve as the market changes.\n**Are you the right person to make this business succeed?** Having the right work ethic, enthusiasm, business knowledge and even a network of supportive mentors can all contribute toward your success as a business owner. So, too, can access to capital. Though it can be tough to qualify for a startup loan, it is possible to get a loan to start a business—or to purchase an existing business. END