While corporate workers are continuing to be laid off with a lot
of economic and emotional pain, some still see a silver lining to
this troublesome story. For one, as more executives explore
entrepreneurship, many are getting a chance to finally pursue a
lifelong dream. Technology Concept's Keillor, for instance,
always yearned to start a business of his own-he just never had the
right opportunity. Likewise, he says, as many of IBM's
casualties continue to open their own companies, scores of them are
finding a whole new world of possibilities.
"In the short term, [the layoffs were] very painful to the
Rochester community," Keillor admits. "But in the long
term, I think it took a lot of underutilized talent and unleashed
it. Putting [that talent] out on the streets is going to be one of
the best things to ever happen to Rochester economically."
Darr agrees that while many former executives start businesses
out of necessity, others discover they were cut out for
entrepreneurship all along. "Once they start a business, they
realize they should have done it earlier," she says.
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Out of a bad situation, it seems, has sprung a new legion of
entrepreneurs. No longer content to take their unfavorable job
situations sitting down, countless corporate workers who've
been laid off, downsized or bought out are now seizing control and
striking out on their own. As Darr puts it, "There's just
a kind of entrepreneurial fervor that's gripped the whole
country."
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