Now that the new and improved employment numbers have hit the street, there’s been lots of buzz about the economy turning the corner–and soon.
At my consulting firm, Axxess Business Centers, I definitely sense that change is in the air. Not only are new clients coming out of the woodwork for help with their business plans, but existing clients–the companies that hired us before the market tanked–are starting to raise capital from investors who hid their money under their mattresses when the market froze up last fall.
One client of ours, a New York City restaurateur who’s opening an Italian restaurant in Harlem, just closed on $650,000–$400,000 from investors, the rest from a local economic empowerment zone. Now that the hammers are swinging and her space is nearing completion, our client is thinking about raising more capital just in case.
And she’s not the only entrepreneur who’s feeling bullish about her prospects. We just started working with another New York restaurateur to open an American-style bistro and pizzeria across the street from his Italian restaurant in midtown. Turns out the landlord gave him a sweetheart deal on the space. And we’re also helping two contractors from Staten Island who’ve assembled a portfolio of 12 residential properties figure out how to take their real estate business to the next level.
And all this is happening in New York City, epicenter of the financial meltdown.
So here’s what I want to know: Are you feeling more bullish about starting a business these days? Are investors finally opening up their checkbooks to you? Is “risk” no longer a dirty word in your town?
If you, too, think that change is in the air, I want to know!
This entry was posted on Monday, May 11th, 2009 at 2:24 pm and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.Leave a Reply
