What do you do when you come up with the idea for a business that defies categorization and tried and true entrepreneurial norms? When it comes to going out on your own and starting your own business, the truth is there is no handbook and it's almost always daunting. So where do you find the right support system when you're pioneering new ideas and new ways of doing something?
"That's the thing that is a little bit tough about the moment that we're living in," explains Julia Kaganskiy, director of the NEW INC incubator program. "A lot of the safety nets that used to exist are disappearing—whether it's things like funding for the arts or more permanent jobs. So everything is becoming a bit destabilized in that way, which puts a lot more pressure on the individual to be more entrepreneurial and figure out a strategy for themselves. This is being sold to us as empowerment, but in reality it just means that everyone has to be an expert in business, marketing, PR, design, all of these things, and we can't pretend that it's realistic to expect that of people." Not long ago, all these aforementioned responsibilities were held solely on the shoulders of whoever was going out on their own and venturing into new professional territories but nowadays, institutions and co-working spaces are starting to catch on: many freelancers and entrepreneurs need help.