Starting Your Business

Illustration: Morning Brew Inc., Photos: Adobe Stock

Laid off and dreaming about a startup idea? There may be a silver lining behind that pink slip. Some state unemployment offices have a program to help recently unemployed workers go from employee to entrepreneur.

People in select states who qualify for unemployment benefits might be eligible to join a Self-Employment Assistance program, or SEAP, instead. These programs generally provide weekly benefits similar to standard unemployment along with opportunities for entrepreneurial training. The goal is to help you create your own new business instead of finding a job somewhere else.

The federal government set the foundation for these programs within the 1993 NAFTA bill—but it’s up to each participating state to run its own version of the program. Not every state participates, and some states that used to have programs no longer do.

Founder Brew reached out to unemployment offices in all 50 states and Washington, DC. State officials in Oregon, Washington, Mississippi, New York, and New Hampshire confirmed to Founder Brew that they have active Self-Employment Assistance programs, though specific names vary slightly state to state. Other states confirmed they had no active program or did not respond.

What makes SEAP different from unemployment

Joining typically unlocks advantages unavailable to people who file for regular unemployment benefits. For instance, unemployment insurance recipients in some states have to submit proof of active job hunting.

As of 2026, there’s no need to look for other jobs while collecting benefits if you’re accepted into one of those active programs. During that time, you can focus on creating a company instead of redoing your résumé.

There are also some state-based educational opportunities that are designed to help walk entrepreneurs through the steps of creating a company. For instance, New York requires participants to partake in 20 hours of entrepreneurial training and have two face-to-face meetings with a business counselor.

In addition, these states allow you to keep your benefits even if your company starts making money. So if you start booking clients in your first few months, you can hold on to both sources of income.

Read more about Self-Employment Assistance programs.—DL

      

Sponsored By Adobe Express

AI can help small-business owners with their marketing needs—and according to new survey findings from Adobe Express, 66% of them are already using it.

There’s just one catch: AI still needs a human touch to make content that really stands out. The Adobe Express AI Snapshot for Small Business* digs into how small-business owners balance AI efficiency with human creativity. Here’s a sneak peek at what they found:

• AI is a creative partner, not a replacement, which is why nearly half of small-business owners surveyed report heavily editing their most recent AI-assisted content before publishing (and only 6% are publishing as is).
• Taste is the competitive advantage, with 79% of small-business owners saying that a clear point of view helps them stand out and attract followers.

Create content to cut through the noise.

Growing Your Business

Amelia Kinsinger

While the creator lifestyle can appear glamorous, most creators are not making the big bucks.

According to a new State of Creators report from the influencer marketing platform CreatorIQ, a survey of more than 5,000 creators found that the majority (about 67%) make under $10,000 a year from content creation, while less than 5% made more than $100,000. Content creation also continues to be a side hustle for most creators, with 63% of respondents saying it is not their primary source of income.

And for those that do strike higher-paying contracts, it’s not their engagement rate that’s bringing in brand interest. According to the report, higher creator pay still most often correlates with higher follower numbers, despite some brands reporting that creator fit and suitability is the most important factor when selecting creators to work with. Views, or content performance, is also more closely associated with creator pay than content engagement, according to the report.

Read more about trends in the creator industry.—JN

      

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Sponsored By Adobe Express

Don’t get lost in the (AI) crowd. AI-generated content can feel like being in a sea of sameness. But a touch of human creativity can help your brand stand out. Read the Adobe Express AI Snapshot for Small Business study to see how small-business owners can use simple tools and templates that instill creative confidence, fast.

Stat: 33,575. That’s the number of unsold companies sitting in private equity portfolios as of June 30, more than double the total 10 years ago. (the New York Times)

Quote: “We are absolutely not simply for the ‘tech bro,’ but for the tech dad, tech mom, tech family, and tech children.”—founder Balaji Srinivasan, a former Coinbase and a16z exec, on his “startup city” in Malaysia that’s landed in hot water with the local government (the Wall Street Journal)

Read: Succession actor Jeremy Strong emailed Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg before portraying him in Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming film The Social Reckoning. Strong won’t reveal what Zuckerberg replied, but he did call Bradley Cooper in character. (GQ)

^{*A message from our sponsor.}