College: Good time to try out a business – The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization

Today’s college students are eager as ever to take a stab at entrepreneurship — if not for the potential riches made by billionaires such as Michael Dell or Bill Gates, then for the satisfaction of self-employment and invaluable business experience.

Though mixing academics with business can be tricky, college may actually be the ideal time to pursue entrepreneurship. Because students are often free from "real-world" concerns such as finding a job or buying a house, many say they are able to take greater risks and spend more time developing a business.

Nobody knows exactly how many college entrepreneurs are out there, but anecdotal evidence shows their numbers are growing, said Gerry Hills, director of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization http://www.c-e-o.org/ , which Hills founded five years ago, has grown into a network of 120 chapters and 14,000 members nationwide.

By Kendra Locke

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