With the economic meltdown in the U.S. on the verge of entering its third year, unemployment rates are the highest they've been in a long, long time. The official government number puts unemployment at just under 10%, but that doesn't take into account the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, who have stopped looking. Several Washington think tanks who have considered this segment of the jobless put the 'real' unemployment rate closer to 17% or 18%. And if you're among the many who are without work it's hard to be encouraged when the President says this is the new norm. But you don't have to sit around the house and wait for work to come to you. You can take the bull by the horns and start your own business.
Before you scoff at my suggestion, realize that prior to the Great Depression, the vast majority of American workers were self-employed. This country is the greatest resource of entrepreneurial opportunity in the entire world. Anyone, regardless of skill, education, or income level, can succeed in business if he's willing to invest the time and effort. While it would be foolish for me to suggest a specific business for specific kind of person, one thing to consider is selling patches, T-shirts, jewelry, etc.
For example, The Cheap Place offers wholesale patches to resellers. Anyone can open a wholesale account without a business license or tax number, with the exception of Florida residents who need a resale certificate number in order to avoid sales tax. Wholesale prices are considerably lower than retail because you're buying in bulk. And with The Cheap Place, most orders are shipped for free.
The market for patches tends to be stable, albeit seasonal. If you live in the northern part of the country you'll find that the winter months tend to be a downtime for this type of business. But spring to autumn remains pretty steady with the early summer months being the peak. If you know how and where to market, selling things like patches, pins, and T-shirts is not a bad way to make a living. You have at your disposal a world of marketing resources including online auction sites and classified ads. eBay, for example, is probably the world's best known online auction site. Listing fees are very affordable, the audience is huge, and the owners of The Cheap Place promise to never compete with you on the site.
In addition, you have local and regional events in your area that are constantly looking for merchants to set up shop. County fairs, carnivals, festivals, community garage sales; these are all places where you can rent space relatively cheaply and display your patches and pins for everyone to see. With an attractive layout and a good price, these local events are gold mine waiting to be harvested. So if you need work and can't find a job in your area, wholesale patches might just be the open door you've been looking for.
