According to Tony Moran, a member of the California Association of Business Brokers, soaring unemployment rates, distrust in corporate America and the desire to control one's destiny are leading contributors to the trend. Moran said more and more employees-turned-merchants are catching on and starting their own businesses in response to recent or repeated layoffs from high-tech companies

"The benefit of owning a business is having stability in an unstable and uncertain economy," Moran said.

According to the Campbell Employment Development Department, the unemployment rate in Santa Clara County increased from 8.3 percent in 2002 to 8.6 percent in 2003. In addition, out of the approximate 44,000 jobs that were lost, two-thirds came from high-tech computer companies.

Saratoga resident Robert Gulino said he's had a long history with pink slips. After being laid off five times from reputable high-tech companies within seven years, Gulino said the time was right to start up his own business in real estate.

"High tech is an exciting business," Gulino said. "But the opportunities for making a living in this field are not out there right now."

Gulino, who has been in high-tech marketing for 12 years, was first laid off at the end of 1996 after transferring from Tokyo to Cupertino as a product line manager for Apple Computer.

"I was not concerned about my first layoff because the economy was still looking good," Gulino said.

But with each new position Gulino took on, there was a pink slip on the other side. In 1999, Gulino found a new job as a group manager in product marketing with a company called InfoGear, which was acquired by Cisco a year later. A year after the acquisition, Gulino's division was completely eliminated and he was laid off, along with approximately 3,500 other full-time employees.

Eight months after his fifth layoff—from Palm Source, where he worked in group marketing for six months—Gulino opened his business and now works from his home office as an investor.

Gulino said there are many benefits to owning a business, such as being able to set his own schedule and spending more time with his family and friends. He said that depending on the direction of his business and the promise in the technology industry, he may go back to working in high tech.

"The key to life is to be flexible and to have a positive outlook on things," Gulino said.

For those who are jobless and are considering opening a business, Gulino recommends pursuing one's passion.

"It really comes down to doing what you're comfortable with," he said.

For Arthur Gardiner of Home Choice Pharmacy in Saratoga, "two layoffs within 10 years is already too much to bear." He said he is adamant about not going back to high tech because the benefits of owning a business outweigh his experiences in the once-booming industry.

"When you're working in high tech, you're always dealing with a machine, whereas in owning a business, you have a personal interaction with clients," Gardiner said.

Gardiner, the former section-level manager for General Electronics, anticipates that the high-tech sector will "continue to struggle" and that "many companies will not compensate at the levels prior to the first big wave of layoffs."

Pam Richardson, who worked in the marketing department at Hewlett-Packard, said she is considering starting a business in catering because the opportunities in high-tech companies are scarce. According to Richardson, who has gone through several interviews since her layoff, many companies are looking to fill entry-level positions, which she said she may be reluctant to accept despite her qualifications and proven track record. In addition, she said, many companies are looking for younger and fresher faces.

Richardson said she is excited about her new career plans but will be doing extensive research before opening her own business.