HIGH POINT – While the doors of small businesses across the country are closing in the wake of a recession, there may be benefits to opening a business in today’s economic conditions, according to some new business owners.

Loans are hard to secure and using personal investments may be dangerous in uncertain times, but some ambitious individuals have found that working for themselves, selecting employees from a large talent pool of unemployed candidates and filling the void of other businesses that have closed may be worth the risk of starting a business now.

That’s the risk Joe Hubay took after the doors of Perkinson’s Jewelers, his former employer once located on N. Main Street, closed on July 11.

“In our industry, there aren’t a lot of jobs available as store managers,” said Hubay, who worked in the jewelry industry for 20 years. “I could move, but how am I going to sell my house in this economy?”

Like other Triad workers who have been laid off but have little hope of finding employment in the area, Hubay decided to open his own business so he could employ himself and continue to serve customers he had met at Perkinson’s. Hubay said it took some time to find a bank that would give him the loan he was looking for, and he also invested some personal capital into the business. He’s currently remodeling the site at 800 N. Main St. himself and plans to open Oct. 1.

Robin LeBorgne faced a similar situation after being laid off twice in the last two years from staffing positions in the Triad.

“Staffing relies heavily on the industries that have been involved in closings and layoffs,” LeBorgne said. “I wanted to be able to pursue something without the worry of working for someone else and wondering if that job might end.”

To combat the situation, she opened a pet-sitting business last month called Great ’N Small that targets the Greensboro, High Point and Kernersville area. “It’s been evident for several years the pet industry is phenomenal,” she said. “People still love their pets.”

For owners Thomas York, Arnold Phillips and Tyrone Phillips, staffing the new Phillips Brothers Funeral Home, opening next month at 1810 Brockett St. in High Point, has been simple so far because of the large number of applicants. “We’ve had several people come to us seeking a job,” York said. “We do have a good selection of employees right now.”

Hubay said the change in the economy has brought obstacles for him and other potential business owners, but sometimes those obstacles make small businesses strong. “People fear change, but change is not a bad thing,” he said. “If change hadn’t happened to me, this wouldn’t have come along.”