In today's economy, it's difficult for even a person with a squeaky-clean record to find a job. If you're an ex-felon, forget it. The application for every job position on the planet has a check box; [ ] Have you ever been convicted of a felony? You can lie and say you have never been convicted of a felony, but it won't do you a damn bit of good because every company does a criminal background check before they hire anyone.
And it don't matter if your felony conviction was 30 years ago when you were a teenager, with today's computer networks, that information will stay available online to employers for the rest of your life and long after you're dead. The impossibility of an ex-felon getting a job is one reason why there are so any repeat offenders.
Most ex-felons would like to move past their history and find an honest, dignified way to earn a living. In this article, I'm going to advise ex-felon's as to how to find a job. One option is - don't even try. That's right, don't even try to find a job.
Instead, start your own business. There are many low-cost and no-cost businesses you can start. Now, many people can't even envision themselves in their own business. They see themselves only working for someone else, kissing butt, and collecting a paycheck. But as an ex-felon, you can't wait for somebody else to give you a break. You can find an honest, dignified way to earn a living right now - by hiring yourself.
In this article, I'm going to present you with a few business ideas. Once you see where I'm going, I'm sure you can come up with many other business ideas. I'll admit that some of these jobs involve difficult and dirty work, but lets be clear, ALL work is dignified work and I personally have the greatest respect for any individual who is in their own business, I don't care what kind of business it is.
Three low-cost businesses an ex-felon might consider are Pest Control, Janitorial, and Window Washing. Now lets be clear, you are not going to go around looking for a pest control, janitorial, or window washer job. You are going to spread around your business cards, fliers, and advertisements about your Pest Control Service, Janitorial Service, or Window Washing Service.
People who buy Pest Control, Janitorial, and Window Washing services almost never do a criminal background check on the business owner. They may look up your business at the Better Business Bureau (BBB), but they normally don't do a criminal background check on you as the business owner. Now, when first starting out, not having a history at the BBB may cause you to lose some jobs, but most people don't bother to check the BBB. And eventually you'll earn a good reference from the BBB.
Pest Control, Janitorial, and Window Washing services are businesses you can enter with a very low investment. The Window Washing service business may require you to rent scaffolding for some jobs, but those will be the higher paying jobs.
Three more business you might consider are Painting, Landscaping, and Hauling. These businesses require a bit more investment. For a painting business you may need scaffolding, and maybe a paint sprayer. For a landscaping or hauling business you'll need a pickup truck. Maybe you can collect some money for the job upfront to rent what you need. You don't need a fancy new pickup truck. Nobody is going say "I can't use you're service because you have an old beater pickup truck."
In some small towns you don't need a special license to start a Taxi Service. And most of your customers will be seniors or non-drivers who can't tell, and don't care how old your taxi car is, as long as it's clean. To run this type of business you need to familiar with the area, To start out, let your customers know that your taxi meter is your odometer plus a calculator.
If you're somewhat more literate, and have access to a computer, a whole world of Internet opportunity is open to you. There are hundreds of web sites where freelancers list the services they provide, anything from transcription to graphics design. Some buyers hire only freelancers with credentials and experience. Other buyers want only the cheapest price. They can't afford high-priced freelancers because they're just getting started - just like you.
Now, there's two ways to start a business. One way is to do market research, write a business plan, and form a corporation. Hey, if this is the way you want to go and have the time resources, good for you. But you don't have to. You can just get a notebook (to record income and expenses), print up some fliers, and go get some customers. This is called a "sole proprietor". You can always start as a sole proprietor and go the business plan, corporation route later.
One thing you DO NOT want to do is get sucked into buying one of those business opportunity scams where you send somebody money for their business "kit". If you really want to learn more about starting a business, there are may free business books at the public library.
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