Many in southwestern Connecticut are turning to self-employment as a way to endure the recession. The Business Expo and Multicultural Marketplace held in Bridgeport Friday provided them with resources to help their businesses grow.

The Bridgeport Expo offered more than just a way for small business owners to network with each other, it gave them a chance to market their products.

Small business owner Carmen Nieves says she started her photography company when she became a grandmother. Eight months later, she says she still has to rely on her full-time job to make ends meet, but she sees endless possibilities for her photography.

?Working for yourself is so different than working for someone else because the failure or success lies in your hands,? Nieves says.

Director of Bridgeport's Economic Resource Center Kevin None says no matter what the headlines say, it?s always a good time to start a business. But, he says, a solid business plan is necessary.