Now’s your chance, almost-graduates (and those of you who think that your next few years will forestall the inevitable): The economy may be dismal, but this is the best time for small businesses to emerge as the new success stories.
As some of Binghamton University’s recent alumni show (See Page 3), you don’t have to be fresh out of the School of Management to be a start-up. The relatively low costs of operation make Binghamton a surprisingly fertile ground for new growth — albeit the population necessitates a certain awareness of your target audience.
That said, with jobs seeming more and more uncertain, now might be your chance to live “the American dream” in a more applied way.
Sure, banks are loath to pass along lower interest rates, but the Fed is more interested in making sure we don’t relive the Great Depression, so you needn’t worry that loans are entirely beyond your reach.
When people are looking to scrimp and save, everyone gets creative. People are far more likely to skip the chains and look to smaller stores and new ideas when money is tight. While Wal-Mart promises savings, we’re being confronted with an economy built on the poor treatment of workers and cutthroat business practices. The only way for us to really emerge from this crisis is to fix the problem at its foundation and create better environments for business as well as workers. This is your chance to drive the bandwagon.
At any rate, starting a business in Binghamton guarantees you a student body that isn’t going to be shrinking any time soon. It isn’t like students have hundreds of places to hang out. We could certainly use somewhere to go, especially somewhere besides a bar. Be it a bowling alley, a ball pit for big kids or a Legoland play place, we’re always looking for something to do, and it doesn’t have to involve alcohol. Cafe Oasis is one of the hot spots for BU students these days, and there’s no reason we can’t create more.
In fact, Binghamton is looking better by the minute. Sure, it may set your dream apartment in Manhattan back a few years, but starting a business around here could give you a secure point from which you can launch a business that could someday make it big. It could even mean that eventually, when the economy finally brightens up, you’ll have your business to keep your future secure.
It’s more likely than striking it rich on Wall Street.