Can't Get a Job? Start a Business.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-grads-start-a-business-if-you-cant-find-a-job-2015-05-20

Start your own business. If you can’t get a job, think of a market niche and start your own business. With the Internet, it’s easier than ever before, and there’s nothing like the satisfaction of being your own boss. One eminent economist I know quit his day job and started Bagel Day, a company in Spencerville, Md., that delivers bagels once a week to offices in the Washington, D.C., area. He never looked back and earned a chapter in “Freakonomics.”

Also: The states with the most job openings for college graduates

Check the licensing requirements before you start. Some states require them for certain occupations — designed to keep out new entrants such as yourself. If you don’t live in Florida, Nevada, Louisiana or the District of Columbia, which require a license, you could start an interior-design business. If you don’t live in Louisiana, you could start a florist business. You can become a tree trimmer without a license in 40 states.

With promising new sharing-economy services, you can either work full time for yourself, or supplement your income by working flexible, part-time hours. Have a car? Why not drive for ride-sharing companies such as Uber or Lyft for a few hours on your commute home. Wondering what to do with that spare bedroom in your new apartment? Airbnb allows you to rent that out to travelers to help you pay your rent. Did your mother teach you how to cook a family favorite? You can earn money by cooking meals for others in your community on Feastly or EatWith.

The advantage of starting your own business is that you are your own boss, and you can set your own schedule. You don’t have to worry about dress. You can keep all net income. The disadvantage is that when there is no net income, you don’t have a salary. Minimum-wage requirements don’t apply to the self-employed: The Labor Department is not going to arrest you for paying yourself too little.

Grads, you’re starting at a disadvantage. America is in fiscal trouble and you’re being asked to shoulder the burden. You’re being asked to pay for retirement programs that might not be there when you retire, and higher health-insurance premiums to subsidize those who often have higher incomes and wealth. About three-quarters of you have college loans, and in 2014, total debt per borrower was $27,000, according to the New York Federal Reserve.

Still, you have to move forward. If you follow my five tips, you will get a first job, and then a better one. Email me (with correct grammar and spelling) and let me know how it’s worked out for you.