Laid Off in 2008? Start a Business in 2009 3 budding entrepreneurs share how they made the most of their recent job losses.

When Ashish Gadnis was laid off from his position as president of a Minnesota software development company, he managed to launch his new life before even leaving the parking lot. On the way to his car, he ran into the vice president of operations who had also been let go, and the two decided to start their own business.

The week Jason Wonacott lost his job as director of corporate communications for a Los Angeles online game publisher, he became his own boss and signed on his former employer as his first client.

When news of the Wall Street crash hit every U.S. household, Christine Marchuska felt the effects directly. Working in Manhattan at a major U.S. investment bank, Marchuska saw her layoff as a sign that it was time to become an entrepreneur.