4 lessons: What we learned in Detroit

In a region hard hit by the Great Recession, people are taking risks to build a brighter future. Here are four families' big chances.

2 of 4
BACKNEXT
Big decision: Starting a business
When Paula Batchelor took a buyout last year -- figuring she was likely to be laid off if she didn't -- she wasn't worried about landing another gig. Having worked 11 years as a graphic-design project manager for a health insurance company downtown, "I knew I had skills," she says.

But Batchelor, a single mother of a 6-year-old, quickly realized just what it meant to live in one of the worst job markets in the country. By year's end, the resident of Royal Oak -- a suburb north of the city -- still had no work and couldn't make her mortgage payment. "I was feeling the pressure," says Batchelor, who's now 55.

So she harnessed her skills, and Batchelor and her sister founded Color Me Social to help small businesses with social-media marketing.

Read her whole story -- and how the experts say to make it work.



NEXT: Big decision: Switching careers
Last updated October 29 2010: 12:22 PM ET
Why I love Detroit Detroit residents often are asked why they stay. 13 locals answer that question - and reveal their favorite treasures of the Motor City. More
20 highest-paying jobsThese docs take home a median $290,000 salary. What other careers offer big paydays? More
Debt busters! These 8 folks found creative ways to chop nearly $90,000 in combined debt. More
  • Find Homes for sale
    Real estate and homes for sale on Trulia

  • Property Type
  • Find a home in:
  • New York | Atlanta | Chicago | Los Angeles
  • Washington D.C | Houston | Philadelphia | More options
Special Offer

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.