I love browsing iReport.com and I thought it was time to share my story of survival in this economy. I have tried to get local newspapers to cover my struggle in entrepreneurship by my press releases seem to get lost among so many others that I’ve sent—so I will do it on my own.

When I was laid off in 2008, I realized that I couldn’t survive on an unemployment check of $275 a week, especially after making close to $1,500 a week as a Marketing Manager for a resort developer in Orlando, Florida.

Florida’s Unemployment Office pays out-of-work professionals the same as anyone who gets paid minimum wage and such a limited amount of money is not enough to cover a mortgage, utilities and the Internet connection I needed to search for a job after all free Wi-Fi cafes are closed for the day.

Initially, I was mad at the system for such a disparity in unemployment compensation since they were not taking into account each individual's situation, but I quickly realized that the old saying of "when life give you lemons—make lemonade" was making sense for the first time.

As I pondered about future career opportunities and the uncertainty ahead, I decided that I didn't need an established employer or company to be attached to my name for me to be someone worthy of a paycheck—particularly after my loyalty had been rewarded with a pink slip due to the credit crunch.

Since I had been doing consulting for almost ten years on a part-time basis—usually for friends, small businesses or former employers who needed marketing help—the idea to do so full-time was always been in my head but I never chose to pursue it because I was securely employed.

Rather than adding my unemployment compensation burden to the already tough economy of the state of Florida, I figured that I have enough to offer on my own and save the state my $275 a week for the time being—and I am hoping that it will pay off soon enough.

Thanks to my previous adventures in consulting I already had a website and business cards, but did not have an established corporation, employee identification number and a bank account, as well as a business address, which is required to register a corporation.

Knowing that I had the experience, the confidence and a good reputation in delivering marketing results, the next steps were easy and I went online to get my business cards, incorporated my business and even got my EIN from the IRS.gov site in less than a week—including a UPS store box and a bank account.

So what better reason than the economic slowdown to venture on my own? I have been dealt my cards and I have decided to play along, rather than fold with no better plan than to spend my days trying to get the attention of recruiters who are getting thousands of resumes per week to fill a few positions.

It has been several months since I started working for myself and I’ve got a few clients for whom I am developing marketing campaigns, online promotions and Social Media—a field that is getting a lot of attention these days and is still largely misunderstood by so many companies.

As a Hispanic-American, I’ve also found opportunity in helping companies connect with this growing market. Being bilingual and fully understanding the dynamics of the Hispanic influence in the U.S., companies are seeking people as myself to help them penetrate this complex market segment.

In times of dire economic health, more companies are letting people go and opting to hire consultants and avoid the complexity of human resources management with a simple IRS Form 1099. You could say their loss is my gain—and ironically, I have firsthand experience getting that pink slip.

The main benefit of my new self-employed life is the flexibility of working from multiple locations, whether it is on-site at a client’s or at the local Panera Bread or Starbucks that lets me sit in a spacious place with ambience music and connect to the Internet—all for the price of a coffee or tea.

And so this story comes to an end. It’s Friday and I am working out of Corona Cigars, a local business that offers free Wi-Fi where I can enjoy a cigar and a mango iced tea while I work on my clients' marketing and communication initiatives.

Right now, I have no idea whether my gamble will pay off and the alternative is sitting at home and join the career-finding rat race in hopes a recruiter does find my creative-yet-analytical professional profile interesting enough.

Orlando, Florida is suffering the consequences of the economic slowdown and even if I wanted to work for Disney, Universal or any of the local resort or timeshare companies, it would be quite difficult because they all have laid people off in preparation for even slower months.

I may not get rich or make a profit just yet, but I have the freedom to look into the future and say that at least I had the guts to venture on my own and do my part in avoiding burdening my state with unemployment compensation—and hopefully survive the economic storm one more day.
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Andres Goyanes owns Fuego Communications and Marketing, Inc., an integrated marketing strategy consulting business in Orlando, Florida. He is also serves as president of the American Marketing Association of Central Florida, an industry organization that promotes excellence in marketing, provides networking opportunities and creates professional development opportunities.

For more information, visit http://www.fuegocommunications.com