That was what Randy Nixon said he was thinking when he found out last summer he was being laid-off from his job at Lear Seating in Ajax after working there for more than 15 years.

"I'm 53 years old and I never thought I'd have to start over again," he said.

The news came right after a family vacation and the purchase of a new pickup truck, the last vehicle Mr. Nixon said he thought he would ever have to buy.

No time is ever a good time to get laid-off but after all these purchases and with his wife's recent layoff from another company, Mr. Nixon said he was very stressed.

"I was devastated," he said.

That was until Mr. Nixon said he decided to turn the situation into an opportunity and start his own business. After reading about an entrepreneur who started a successful garbage-hauling enterprise Mr. Nixon decided to try junk removal. The idea would put his knowledge of the community and his new truck to good use.

After deciding what he wanted to do, he had to think about how he was going to launch his business. He said that is when he found out about the Ontario Self Employment Benefit Program. The program is 48 weeks long and consists of 7 weeks in the classroom and 41 weeks launching a business with the help of professional coaches.

The Ontario Self Employment Benefit program is run by Essential Communications based in Whitby. Potential entrepreneurs go through a rigorous application process before they can start the training. They fill out a 10-page business concept paper, are interviewed by a panel of judges and their applications are assessed.

Essential Communications runs the program as an agency acting for the Ontario Self-Employment Benefit Program.

Program co-ordinator Peter Miller said the application process is rigorous because they need to make sure applicants are very serious. The program takes almost a year to graduate from and costs about $20,000 per person to run when Employment Insurance benefits paid to students are factored in.

Mr. Miller said 50 per cent of businesses that come out of the program are still running after two years and 33 per cent are still in business but are relying on some part-time work or other income. The program has been running for five years and has graduated 25 classes of business owners.

Mr. Nixon said the program is thorough. Topics covered range from time management to essentials of marketing and market research to personality dimensions.

"They didn't leave anything uncovered," he said.

Mr. Nixon's story isn't particularly unique Mr. Miller said. Many people who have been laid-off have found success through self-employment.

Mr. Nixon speaks highly about the program and how it's helped him get started.

He would have tried to open his own business even without the help of the program, but doesn't think he would have had the great start he's had without the skills he gleaned from the various workshops. He adds that his ongoing meetings with his coach are also very helpful. In his first two and half weeks he had nine jobs.

Essential Communications receives more applications than it can accept, Mr. Miller said.

"The need for the program far exceeds capacity," he said. They receive 55-60 applications for each class and accept about 25 students after government approval.

To hire Mr. Nixon to take away trash call 905-439-5865. He will take anything that is non-hazardous materials and said he tries to donate as much as he can to non-profits and recycles and reuses much of the rest. To find out more about his business practices visit: www.junkitwisely.com.