Starting a business in New Orleans.

• Position: Entrepreneurship

"On one hand, New Orleans is a tough place to do business," says Wes Moss, former "Apprentice" standout and author of Starting from Scratch: Secrets from 21 Ordinary People Who Made the Entrepreneurial Leap.

"Housing is scarce; schools are closed; other cities are working hard to lure dislocated companies to move their headquarters to more comfortable ground. But on the other hand, a city that's starting over is inherently ripe with opportunity. Someone's going to be there when the city surges back to life--why shouldn't it be you?"

Moss says he understands why native-to-New Orleans corporations have headed to higher (or at least drier) ground and why they are not in a hurry to return. They have obligations to meet, procedures to follow, and workers to house--workers with kids who have to go to school somewhere. However, agile startups with few (if any) employees are far more likely to survive and thrive in a city without a solid, well-established infrastructure. Indeed, they could be building said infrastructure.

For those with an entrepreneurial streak or an idea for a new Gulf region company, Moss offers the following tips:

Think supply and demand. There are certain things that people always will need: food, drink, clothing, shelter, and communication. The Federal government is providing billions of dollars for businesses willing to provide these services. Perhaps there is a way for you to transform the financial resources into the trappings of new lives for returning New Orleans residents--and make a few dollars in the process.

First, consider the obvious--construction. Building will be an...