Patrick Thompson turns layoff into design biz

metromode, 9/3/2009

Patrick Thompson became his own boss the way so many other people are these days -- because someone made the decision for him.

Well, that's partly true. Thompson was recently laid off from his design job this summer. But instead of wading into the morass of Monster.com and the like, he decided to start his own company out of his Pleasant Ridge home – Patrick Thompson Design.

"It was a decision that was coming for a long time," Thompson says, adding that he was wanting to run his own business for years.

The designer has focused on hospitality design for most of his six-year career. Now he would like to continue that, but also branch out into retail, office, and restaurant spaces. He also is looking at work in façade improvement and historic preservation.

He says he sees a lot of firms closing up shop, so there is a need for independent contractors like himself. The kind of people who could use his creativity and flexibility are in Metro Detroit, according to Thompson.

"I want to stay in a place where I am needed," Thompson says.

Source: Patrick Thompson, designer for Patrick Thompson Design
Writer: Jon Zemke

Design , Entrepreneurship , Entrepreneurship , Oakland County