Ed - Thanks for the great quotes and the astute observation. As we wait for the dust to settle from the latest economic bust it is good to reflect on how we got here. Things sure did get complicated. Lots of people rushed to be part of get-rich-quick businesses in real estate, finance, technology and other arenas. Businesses and companies have become mammoth in the last few decades - both in terms of revenue generated and headcount.

With those large instituisons faltering, we may be headed back to a time when small, local businesses become the economic engines for cities and towns. The skills needed to run the smaller operations by a few people have been lost as large companies became so highly specialized.

I also think that if people follow their passions and find a way to turn avocations into vocations, we'll have a lot more happy, satisfied people.

Oddpodz is working on becoming a place to help the entrepreneur succeed. We are working on content and tools to help navigate the small biz start up waters. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, if you have questions, please post them here. We have lots of members who may be able to provide answers, feedback and insight.