Winter 2009 USAA Magazine - USAA.com

BEYour OwnBossThink starting a business is out of reach? Entrepreneurial members share the lessonsthey’ve learned to help you live your dream. | By Dennis McCafferty | Illustration by ShoutWhen Chris Charbonneau quit his corporate sales job inMaryland pending a layoff last fall, he had a decision tomake: Look for work in a bad economy, or carve out aniche with a business of his own.Hoping to cash in on the green movement, he and his wife, Kate,both avid recyclers, decided to pursue an idea they had been tossingaround — creating reusable nylon tote bags to carry groceries, shoppingmall purchases or just about anything else under 40 pounds. A keyselling point? The bags collapse into a small pouch that can be tuckedinto a purse or backpack.“My wife and I had plenty of those 99-cent reusable bags grocerystores sell. But we were constantly leaving them behind when wewalked out the door to go shopping,” says Charbonneau. “We neededsomething we could stash in my wife’s purse or easily hold in one hand.So we came up with our own solution.”It remains to be seen whether Charbonneau’s idea will take off. But asa budding entrepreneur in a tough economy, he’s in good company. MoreFind out how theseUSAA membersput their dreamsinto action.22usaa magazine winter 2009 (800) 531-USAA (8722)