Making The Most Of Sluggish Times

Bea Ellsworth sent her resume to more than 500 companies in the last year.

"If there was a job out there, I was looking," says Ellsworth, who has a degree in criminal justice and a background in accounting.

But, when she was unable to find a job in her field, she decided to just make one for herself.

Ellsworth's business plan for her new company, Pampered Pals LLC, was inspired by her love for her own dogs.

"I thought I'm going to go to people's houses and let their animals out and try to make a career out of this," she laughed.

Ellsworth is now a pet walker, pet sitter and a pet carpool service.

Her customer list is still pretty short, but she hopes it will grow.

In the meantime, the customers she has keep her pretty happy!

"Every day I get up excited," says Ellsworth. "Whether it works out in the end or not, at least I can say I tried."

Ellsworth hasn't given up her search for a job in criminal justice. She continues to send out resumes while she works on building her new business.