The lack of job offers the past year was discouraging for Beth Gonnering, but it also prompted her to think about starting her own business.

The 48-year-old Kenosha resident received no response from hundreds of resumes sent out after being laid off in October 2008. The last time she was laid off, in 2003, she had five job offers within a month.

“But that was a different world,” she said.

Gonnering, with 26 years in the construction project manager business, decided to take a 12-week small business planning course as well as other entreprenuerial classes in the spring.

That led to the opening of Hometown Pro, 6201 75th St., offering home and business maintenance, repair and remodeling, in September.

Be your own boss

She’s not alone in pursuing self-employment when jobs are scarce.

Attendance at the small business classes jumped 50 percent, to 40 people, between spring and fall in Kenosha County.

The courses, including marketing, business plans and cash flow topics, are arranged by the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. and the Small Business Development Center of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

“We’re getting people who might have been laid off two or three times,” said Heather Lux, project director for WWBIC’s southeastern Wisconsin office, 600 52nd St. “They can’t find a full-time job, so they decide to start their own business. Some are making 40 percent less in new jobs and want to fill that income gap.”

Since 2007, when the Kenosha office opened, the agency has loaned $300,000 to eight businesses in the county, creating 32 jobs. More than half the dollars — $170,000 — was loaned in the past five months, Lux said.

In addition, approximately $275,000 in loans for Kenosha County businesses are being considered.

Helping small companies

The agency aims to assist businesses with fewer than five workers and those that need less than $100,000 in start-up money.

Its target population is women, low- to medium-income people and minorities, but WWBIC will work with all who are interested.

The Development Center typically works with businesses needing more than $100,000.

SBDC Director Matt Wagner said the number of people counseled and trained through his organization increased by 25 percent in 2008-09 compared to a year earlier. Many were unemployed.

“There’s a theory that with high unemployment, you’ll see the risk of going into business decrease, providing an opportunity to get into small business,” he said.

SBDC plans to offer classes on topics such as business planning for technology-based companies and green companies, as well as for agriculture in response to growing interest in organic and natural produce. Wagner expects enrollment to continue climbing.

This risk isn’t a game

There are advantages and risks to being your own boss, Lux said.

“Almost every ‘up’ aspect could be a ‘down’ aspect if it isn’t right for you,” she said.

Gonnering had plenty of fear and anxiety about being on her own.

“I couldn’t understand why I felt that way because I’d always worked for small businesses,” she said. “It was not my fault that my job was not there anymore, and I understood that intellectually. But on the emotional side, I had to deal with the fact that the life I knew was gone.”

Closer to the goal

Gonnering said business so far hasn’t been as strong as her optimism. However, work grew in November and, given that this is the slow time of year for the industry, she believes the results have been respectable.

“Now that the business is up and going, I’m glad I did it,” she said.