Skinny,
Yes I realize the intent of unemployment is to cover those who are seeking full time work and are not trying to establish a business working for themselves. I don’t expect to be able to start freelancing and then say “Well I had a bad month, I’m going to go see if my ex-employer will pay to support me since I can’t hack it in business on my own.” I realize that’s the reality and the risk of going into business for yourself.
My primary goal is still to find full time employment. If I don’t find that at the end of my unemployment eligibility then I will most likely take a concentrated approach at freelancing. And like I said, if that means a part time job at Starbucks, etc. to compensate for that then so be it. I just want to figure out what will happen NOW if I start picking up some small jobs here and there. And by all means, if I end up getting a significant project then I will no longer be applying for unemployment benefits.