Ellen Pfeiffer, 57
San Antonio
Laid off from: Brookdale Senior Living, Dec. 31, 2008
New venture: Generations Concierge & Errand Services
Last year's profile
Where she is now: Ellen Pfeiffer's rebound venture has been successful enough in the first year that she turned down the chance to return to her old job. "I said, 'Thank you, I'm honored, but I could never stop doing this now after putting my heart and soul into this for a year.' " Generations Concierge & Errand Services now has 50 clients—split between elderly people and busy professionals—and eight part-time workers. Pfeiffer is pleased with her $35,000 in sales last year, nearly all of which came in the second half, and she expects to be profitable in the first half of 2010. She's now trying to target corporate accounts and get some of San Antonio's largest employers to offer their workers concierge services as a perk. "If I got one account like that this year, I'd be pleased," she says.
