Unless you're an exec of a bank receiving bailout money you've got a pretty good idea how bad the current state of our economy is. Companies focused on bottom lines (and survival) are shedding employees faster than oak trees shed leaves in an Autumn wind. Those folks with jobs worry that the next foul economic breeze might send them flying out the corporate door as well.

Yet there are those who find that their forced freedom has allowed them to take chances that they normally would not have. Some seek new careers, some find new locations, while still others start new businesses.

I know! Nuts, right?

I mean, who in his or her right mind would attempt to start a business when so many established businesses are failing daily?

Madness! Yet there they are.

A recent article in BusinessWeek profiled several people who, after being downsized, outsourced, laid off, or let go decided to take matters and their futures into their own hands and start a business.

Do these people possess stones the size of Gibraltar or is there a method to their madness? Maybe the truth is a little bit of both.

A while back I started toying around with selling my photographic efforts at a local farmer's market. The overhead was low and I wasn't out to make a killing, I just wanted to support my camera habit.

But then the economy tanked. People began putting a stranglehold on their wallets and while my offerings were relatively inexpensive and those who looked at my work liked what they saw I found myself with more inventory than I really should have.

You'd think that I would stop this foolishness and salt away what little money I managed to hold on to. You'd be wrong.

Last week I decided to make this venture a bit more than a pastime and I signed up for a business tax code. My little venture is nothing like the businesses of those featured in the BusinessWeek article, but is it mine and my goal is still to fund my photography. If I make a little some-sum extra I won't complain.

The reality is that I'll probably lose the rest of the cash to website payments and portrait equipment and not make a dime, but I have to tell you, the idea of owning my very own business has its appeal.

What's not so appealing is the amount of stuff I don't know about running a business even as small as mine. I took a small business class several years back when I had a really good idea, but no money to fund it, but what I learned does me little good in dealing with the micro-ecomnomy of a business as small as mine.

What I need is some tutoring on subjects pertinent to my circumstance. What I need are small business related podcasts. And being the author of a weekly Free on iTunes column, you know I just had to find some.

First up is Startup BizCast, which is a nice collection of weekly podcasts dedicated to small businesses.

I like the format of Startup BizCast; they catch you up with the latest news of interest to the small business owner then they focus on a particular subject. And they touch on every subject imaginable: Email Etiquette, when (or if) you should quit your day-job, creative advertising and much more.

It's a shame that the iTunes Store does not carry every episode, they start at episode 9. You can get the missing episodes at the Startup BizCast website.

Next up is Master Small Business Course with Bill FitzPatrick.

Those of you who enjoy motivational recordings will probably like this one. Bill FitzPatrick take different tact in helping the would-be entrepreneur, he infuses his talks with positivity, which is essential in starting any venture. (Who starts a business believing it will fail? You'd be surprised.)

Master Small Business Course is also full of generalities, so don't expect definitive 'How Tos'. What you'll get is what Mr. FitzPatrick believes is an attitude adjustment which is geared, in a rather obtuse way, on you getting and keeping the focus needed to establish and keep a modest trade.

There are 30 lessons and several stories and associated audio and all are available at the iTunes Stores.

Be mindful that Mr. FitzPatrick tends to repeat himself, but maybe that's the way he uses to get his message across.

OK, sometimes we need a bit of wit to help the serious stuff go down. For that I offer you Dave & Daniel's Small Business Podcast.

Dave Michaels and Daniel Miller host an entertaining show that appears weekly and they talk about all things related to business.

A couple of things you'll want to be aware of, on some episodes there is a lot of mic noise; popping, clicking, and other distracting noises abound and really takes a toll on the listener.

Some of their glibness can get a but tedious and you might find yourself wishing they would just cut to the chase.

Still, I've gone through several of these and like them enough to keep going. You might too.

So, there you have it. Three podcasts that offer a wealth of information for those who want to be (relatively) wealthy and be their own boss. It's a start, but if you are really interested in starting your own business I strongly recommend to stop by the Small Business Administration website and make use of the services they provide.

It's your tax dollars at work folks, you may as well take advantage of it.

That's a wrap for this week. More freebies available below with direct links.

Happy Vernal Equinox!

Vern Seward is a writer who currently lives in Orlando, FL. He’s been a Mac fan since Atari Computers folded, but has worked with computers of nearly every type for 20 years.