Unemployment in 2009: Are you part of the U.S.'s 7.2 percent?

The numbers are out, and they don't look good. The Labor Department announced 524,000 U.S. jobs were lost in December. And with America's national unemployment rate up to 7.2 percent -- the highest in 16 years -- 2008 will go on record as the worst year of job losses since World War II.

And now I'm sure the question on another 524,000 people's minds is: Now what?

As I've said in a number of posts on the U.S.'s economic condition, a down economy is actually the ideal time to start your own business. The Web has unleashed never-before-experienced business power, for an exceptionally low price.

Better yet, harnessing the power of the Internet doesn't mean you need to spend a year and thousands of dollars on programming. Today's technology has advanced so much that anyone with basic computer skills can put their products on the Web. At Alpha, we see it happening every day.

If you're an entrepreneur with an idea, this could be the opportunity you've been waiting for. For some more recessionary entrepreneur stories, turn your eyes to The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and CNN.