Lexington, KY - Sometimes one person's employment dilemma can be that same person's new business venture. Entrepreneur Vince Edwards, a commercial broker and consultant, found himself in need of a job late last summer when a hotel deal in another city fell through. He dusted off his resume, which included a mathematics degree from UK, more than 10 years of experience in computer resources with Procter & Gamble, and another four years in purchasing for the Central Kentucky Blood Center.
He got no responses. At that point, he sought the advice of a human resources expert and completely redid his resume.
"I went from no interest to tons of potential interviews," he said.
Edwards secured enough contract work through the fall and winter to get him back on his self-employed feet. He formed Equity Consulting Inc. in 2009. He finds lenders, prepares financial packages, makes proposals, writes purchase agreements and handles all aspects through the closing, for both residential and commercial clients.
But he couldn't shake the overwhelming frustration of that recent job search. It was so dramatically different from his fresh-out-of-college job hunting experience. Had the market really changed that much? Yes. Traditional job search tools and methods do not work the way they used to.
Edwards was at Starbucks in January, having a conversation with John Meyers, a self-employed attorney and business consultant. They were talking about the economy, its impact on people and businesses, and how everyone is going to look back at this time period as the "before and after" situation: the way things were done before and the way things are being done after.
It was clear to Edwards that there were a lot of jobs out there that most people didn't know how to go about pursuing. That's when Meyers suggested putting together a collection of materials to give people the guidance they need and making it available online at a low price.
Edwards liked the idea. Within 15 minutes of broaching the idea, they were off to the new business races.
"We'd known each other long enough and were comfortable enough with each other that it was worth investing some time and energy," said Meyers.
Of course, it took more time than they envisioned at first, but by spring they formed a partnership, Just Employed, Inc. In July 2009 they launched www.FindaNewJobFast.com, a site with a set of guides and resources designed not only for first-time employees, but also for those recently laid off and people returning to the job market after a number of years.
The subscription-based site offers job seekers more information than they would find in an e-book. Features include a job guide, checklists, forms and letters, techniques for customizing a resume for each job, how to market yourself prior to the interview, how to sell yourself during and after the interview, sample interview questions, a job tracker database and weekly live chats with an HR rep.
"We developed all the content," said Meyers. "We did a lot of research and came up with our own spin." They outsourced some of the PHP programming but designed the logo and the site themselves.
Within short order, the business partners created a second site, www.MyOnlineCareerCenter.com, as a resale opportunity for the HR community to purchase a batch of subscriptions as part of a package for outplacement services.
One of the ways Edwards and Meyers are marketing their job-finding site is by conducting workshops at National College and Bluegrass Community & Technical College. Meyers has a bachelor's degree in accounting from UK and a law degree from the University of North Carolina. He did estate work and business law for firms in Raleigh and Charlotte before moving back to his home city of Lexington in 1998. In 2000 he founded Real Goals, Inc., the consulting side of his legal practice that helps clients improve performance and profits.
"I've done a lot of work over the years with people who were in partnerships that weren't going well," said Meyers. "Vince and I have become good friends in the course of all this."
In addition to constant updates on the Web sites with Meyers, Edwards has two other phases of business he wants to grow in 2010: commercial loans and residential loan modifications. "Only eight percent of eligible people have looked into a loan modification," he said.
"I like to combine service with making an income," said Edwards. "It's all about helping somebody along the way."
To learn more about Edwards' and Meyers' venture, visit www.FindaNew-JobFast.com.
Kathie Stamps is the co-founder of www.ISBO.biz, an online directory of independent/small business owners.