Self employed???

[redphoenixx]

My boyffriend wants to run his own business right away when he gets out. Now considering that he does not have money to start buying merchandise (car stereos & equip), not to mention no clients, advertising, etc. He tried this the last time he was out and it seriously failed.

I really wish he would get a regular job first, then work his way into this. Not only that, I don't want to be supporting him until he gets on his feet like we did last time. (Which he never really did, so I was always giving him money.)

Has anyone ever successfully done this? That is, walked out of prison and started in full time as a self employed person? And don't they usually make them get a "normal" job after release?

[4keeps]

This is an interesting post. I too am concerned for a friend of mine who is supposed to be released to a half way home real soon. He tells me that he has plans of going into real estate where he can fix up homes/apartments and then sell them. Sounds good! But, here is the concern I have..plenty of other inmates are trying to get into this very same field not to mention the constant infomercials that we see on tv about this very same thing. I have no idea where my friend will get the money to start this business, unless the government will give him a loan or unless he has some partners out on the street who will be helping him out (I just pray these so called partners are legitimate folks who will not get my friend back into trouble.)

I agree with you that your boyfriend might need to get a regular job, especially since you say you have helped him the past and things did not work out. OF course, many of them really don't like working for other folks and want to do their own thing. I certainly would not allow him to drain my bank account. It's tough on ex cons no matter what. All I can say is I wish you and your friend the best.

[toi_ama]

Well, if he's coming out on parole, it's been my experience that PO's will usually not allow the self-employed bit because they want them to get something for sure------a paid job working for someone else. Once they've been self-supporting for awhile, then if they can manage to go into business for themselves, fine. Going into business like your boyfriend wants to do isn't easy and it takes considerable money to really start up a business. Ex-cons have trouble getting loans, so I'd say he'd be way ahead to just get a job and the work toward a "someday" of owning his own business.

[redphoenixx]

He's a very independent person and for the most part, he's always worked for himself. Only on a few occasions has he worked for a company and that has been pretty short term (<6 months). I'm just worried because that is such a big undertaking for even a normal person, not to mention one just getting out of prison. He relies totally on his network of friends and business's to get work. Of course, alot of those friends are gone now and he needs to start all over again, He's an excellent mechanic, can fix just about anything, and in general can do just about anything he puts his mind to. I almost wish that his next PO will say "no way" to the self-employed idea, at least for a few months. I almost feel like I am not being supportive of him by saying that though. I know for a fact that the only way he would get a regular job is if he were forced to by his PO.