[ComingHometoCT]

After a 28 year absence, I want to return home to my roots. I am self-employed providing bookkeeping and associated computer services to small businesses. I would prefer to live relatively close to the water and am considering the Niantic/East Lyme area. I would be open to being in other areas as well, including further inland, in areas from Waterford to Colchester, Glastonbury and further along Rte. 2 to approximately East Hartford.

Does anyone have any information on what my prospects might be and whether it is possible to make a decent living in CT this way?

Also, I am mid-forties and divorced and would need to keep this in mind when considering overall lifestyle.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by ComingHometoCT

After a 28 year absence, I want to return home to my roots. I am self-employed providing bookkeeping and associated computer services to small businesses. I would prefer to live relatively close to the water and am considering the Niantic/East Lyme area. I would be open to being in other areas as well, including further inland, in areas from Waterford to Colchester, Glastonbury and further along Rte. 2 to approximately East Hartford.

Does anyone have any information on what my prospects might be and whether it is possible to make a decent living in CT this way?

Also, I am mid-forties and divorced and would need to keep this in mind when considering overall lifestyle.

Thanks in advance for any help.

You do have skills that can be offered as a private agent.
Book keeping- well they like a A.S degree in accounting-however years of experience will count as much. Computer services? Again your experience/number of years- and any courses taken will help.

Connecticut has a high demand for jobs in health care and education, but also finance- and some computer services.

South eastern CT the area you desire is a mixed bag- the area now is mostly Casino's and tourism. With your skills you might have better luck in the Hartford area.

It might be best to send out resumes with monster, and other on line sites.

Good luck.

[ComingHometoCT]

Thanks for the reply. I would not be sending out resumes but rather soliciting small businesses to purchase my services. My services mainly involve the set up, maintenance and/or training for accounting/bookkeeping systems for small businesses. I would establish an office space, join the Chamber and start advertising. With this in mind, what are your thoughts/experience regarding this type of business? Is there a need for this type of service in SE CT and are the people open to welcoming newcomers, from a business standpoint anyway? Thanks!

It is really hard to say ComingHome

You do have identifiable skills- but like all 'Free Agents' like myself- you will have to start up on your own- market your skills to the appropriate businesses- you may find yourself working for several small businesses at first.

If I may- where are you coming from? There is a need in Connecticut for small office managers, with your kind of skills-

Joining the local chamber of commerce of south eastern CT.
Business Directory - New London Area Chamber of Commerce, WI

[ComingHometoCT]

Hello Skytrekker. Thanks again for the reply. For the past 8 months I have been living in Carlsbad, CA, on somewhat of a sabbatical. Prior to this I lived in Bristol, RI for 27 years and was in business for myself for 18 of those. I catered mainly to small businesses that had no need for full-time help of this sort. I worked for a myriad of businesses including small retail stores, contractors, computer companies, law firms, real estate agents, car washes, cleaning companies, decorating firms and many, many more. Of course, in RI, I had built quite a reputation and most of my work came via word of mouth. In CT, I would be starting over. So....

It is my sense that small businesses are in abundance in most parts of the country but wonder more about the ability to break into this world, in CT, as a newcomer. I am a native of CT and most of my family still lives there.

Thanks for any additional help!

[skytrekker]

Cominghome

If you lived over in Rhode Island for 27 years- and been in south coastal California for 8 months- I frankly do not feel you are going to be a 'newcomer to CT'- since you where born here- lived here so long and have family here.

You are still a 'New Englander', My concerns right now is the health of the US economy- there are possibly severe problems with the meltdown in stocks- and the spreading from sub prime to prime mortgages in the financial sector.

My feelings are that in New England the economy will slow here- but other areas including those regions that participated in the housing boom and now bust will have bigger problems then here.

I feel that in California- you might feel an economic downtown harder then here- you have a great many skills-
its a tough call for you- but if this is home- the best decision might to return here.