Which way to go? What to do?

"Be at a crossroads" is defined in the Cambridge English Dictionary as "to be at a stage in your life when you have to make a very important decision".

Coincidentally a friend and I were let go from our respective positions within a week of each other, we did not work at the same company. This was about two months ago. Since then we have gone to a couple of job fairs, a term I use very loosely. We live just outside a major city on the East Coast, job fairs should be large events with a ton of local companies showing up looking for talent, so not the case here. The first one we went to was just sad; there were 7 companies there - 5 were financial companies, 1 funeral home, and a staffing agency. Not exactly a great turn out.

The second one we went to was at the baseball stadium in that large city, better options when it came to companies, there was about 30 total. A couple of trade schools, the military, the state police, a few staffing agencies, retailers; you get the picture. The same over and over again. I talked to a couple of the agencies since they were ones I had never heard of in this area. Thought it would give me more options when it came to finding something that is right for me. I emailed them later the same day, it was nice talking to you today here is a copy of my resume for your records kind of email. Then, nothing - crickets could be heard for miles after that. I do realize the emails could have been flagged as SPAM but you would think that agencies that like check their SPAM to make sure that they don't lose a lead or a potential candidate because of it. I gave it a couple of weeks, thinking maybe they just haven't checked SPAM yet. I've totally given up now.

My friend scheduled an interview with one of the companies from the first job fair, a financial company. If he was offered anything he didn't take it since he is not working there at this point.

I believe we are both sitting at this crossroad trying to figure out what we each want to do next. There is always the option of starting a business, folding and taking a job just to have a job that brings in a salary or keep searching to find the right fit. I vote for searching for the right fit, I've spent too much time working somewhere just because I needed a job to support my family (single parent here). It's time for me to find work that at the very least doesn't give me anxiety going in every morning.

Right now, that leaves us sitting here...searching to determine what will be next.

How do you move on when there is nowhere to go?

I don't mean move on like you do from a broken relationship. How do you move on from a job that you semi like, which is more than some can say, to another when there are no opportunities? 

Do you stay in an almost dead end position or do you jump in head first and pray for the best? I say almost dead end position because as of right now there are only two places to go outside and / or my boss' position; neither of which I want.

So then the question becomes if you jump where to go? New position / company possibly making less money, start a company and hope it takes off like a rocket and stays the course or start the company but with a partner?

These are all questions that run through my head each and every day, several times a day. I am grateful for the position / job that I have however like most others on the planet I wonder if there is something better, more challenging, more rewarding. Maybe volunteer work is the best choice at this point in time...