There are a lot of thoughts on the wisdom or otherwise of getting started in business during a recession. I think there are a lot of opportunities, but they will only work with care and planning. I think the wise move is to research and plan a business that will work well in the down times. Then you need to be prepared to adapt and diversify when the economy picks up again. What people want now wont necessarily be what they want in 2-3 years time. You need to stay in touch with your market. This goes for existing businesses too – they should be looking at changing what they do and how they do it if they wish to survive the recession. What has been working for the past 5 years wont necessarily work now. The first two years in business are the ones that can make or break you, so if you can survive those and still be there during a recession then it is probably a better reflection of the viability of your business than at other times. This doesn't necessarily mean it is a good idea to try it though. I think you would need to be very clear about what you are selling and whether it is likely to be desirable in a recession. People's needs do not change – the way they satisfy those needs does change though. This is what you need to be thinking about. What can you offer that people want or need? People start businesses for a wide variety of reasons and in a recession it is often to create employment for themselves. This is because of job losses and the fear of job losses. There are risks in going into business so it is very important to plan ahead and research what you want to do before you leap in. At a time when you have lost your job or there is a threat of losing your job, you need to prepare carefully so that you don't add to your financial burden with an unsuccessful attempt at self-employment.