Tommy,

>Well, I got laid off January 29th, along with 5 others, at Telespectrum.

Sorry to hear that -- welcome to the club. As long as you keep a positive attitude and look at this as an opportunity, you will be fine. Let your entreprenurial creativity kick in, assess your strengths and weaknesses, learn something new every day, work all your contacts, attend (or start) a user group, and be willing to do whatever work you can find to fill the gap until something solid comes along.

I'm getting more and more encouraged every day, although I have had a few disappointing days over the past couple of months. Not every lead you investigate will pay off, but some will, and before long you may end up very busy -- whether you are an employee or self-employed. I've done this cycle several times now, and I just can't seem to make myself be gloomy about it -- I guess it's the idea that being a non-employee means that the sky is the limit on possibilities.

I'm keeping the road from Florida to Atlanta hot these days, as I have lots of small jobs going on with previous clients, but am making progress in getting to know the Tampa area connections as well.

Press on, and may your best year yet be just ahead.