Getting laid off is never easy. Finding yourself suddenly unemployed rather than heading off to work in the morning is a big change in anyone’s life.

1. Don’t Panic. It’s going to be hard for the first day or two, but keep it under control. Now is the time for real, measured action, not an explosion of self pity and unchecked spending.
2. Tighten Your Belt. The perfect blend of keeping your mind off of things and preparing for this little hiccup, making up a new household budget lets you identify what can be cut and what has to stay.
3. Keep Your Chin Up. People often underestimate the psychological effect that being laid off has had on them. Stay focused on what’s to come. This is an opportunity for you to become your own boss, and negative thinking isn’t going to get your new business off the ground.
4. Assess Your Strengths. You need a business plan–now. The money you’ve got saved may be the capital you need to start your own business, not just a safety buffer. Figure out exactly what you’re going to do and who’s going to pay you for it.
5. Leverage Your Network. Obviously you can’t start going after your company’s clients, but chances are you’ve made some other contacts in your field. Get the word out that you’re starting up your own business; get on the web; and get your new business going.

Now that you’ve figured out what you’re going to do, it’s time to figure out how. The Web is most powerful tool at your disposal, for everything from business networking to internet marketing solutions that can get you earning money as quickly as possible.

You can think of ecommerce solutions as a fancy term for doing business on the Web. If you need help getting this set up, don’t hesitate to hire a web design firm to get things going. Credit card processing capabilities can take the sting out of waiting for those checks to roll in because your customers can pay you instantly. In a world where most start-ups fail because of uncollected bills, you can’t afford not to set up some sort of credit card processing or instant POS systems.

Attractive website design is a like having a storefront that makes people stop in their tracks and wander inside. You’ve got two options: hire someone or do it yourself. Doing it yourself could lead you to develop a new, highly marketable skill. It could also lead to wasted time, effort, and patience. Hiring web design firms to do it for you may be a safer bet.

In the likely event that you don’t have all of the office equipment you need to get going, seek out an office equipment leasing company. Instead of buying discounted or outdated supplies at high personal cost, you can lease any equipment you need to get started. Prices vary considerably in this industry, so be sure to check around with several equipment leasing companies before settling on one.

Whatever business you choose to start up, it’s vital that you stay motivated. Through internet marketing solutions such as pay per click and SEO, you can start to see results almost immediately. Make these tangible results the apple of your eye, but don’t settle for a trickle. The more work you put into pushing your new web site and company, the more customers you are likely to attract.

Once your initial web site is up, think of it as your jumping-off point. You can easily add features that allow more user-generated content, such as forums and blogs, which may  help with search engine optimization to bring even more people in.

Even if you have to dress in full business attire to get motivated, you need to act like a business. Set your hours, and stick to them. When you don’t have clients, your job is to get them. Increase your knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) and learn how to get more traffic to your Web site. If you can hire SEO companies, even for a defined project or duration, you may be able to get a big jump in traffic more rapidly than you would on your own. When you do have clients, act professionally and give them the best you’ve got. They’ll pass your name on and you may soon find your business is growing.