Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana

To Paul Mugge, the answer to the business survivability debate is simple: Innovate or die.

“Starting up, owning and operating a business is a risky venture. But those individuals willing to take such risks, by making investments of resources, time and energy, spur the economy forward. Indeed, entrepreneurship and investment serve as the economy’s lifeblood. Of course, most politicians claim to support small business, but their actions speak far louder than any political speeches ever could,” stated Richard Keating, SBE President.

“These enhancements offer an even greater real-world experience for kids to learn about the issues associated with entrepreneurship,” said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. “Exposing kids early to both the rewards and the challenges helps prepare America’s next generation of strong and successful business owners – a group that is vital to the continued health of our economy.”

Entrepreneurs play a unique role in the economy. Are they born that way or can their behavior be taught?

Some politicians recognize that the policies they implement have an impact on economic decision-making. Others simply choose to ignore or
are ignorant of those effects.

"The licensing from the state was grueling," she said.

"Bootstrapping is really about an entrepreneur thinking outside the box and, in particular, thinking of innovative ways to start and grow a business without a lot of money," he said.

A Kauffman Foundation study that found that 41 percent of kids ages 9 to 12 would like to start their own business, but don’t know how.

"A lot of talent has migrated here, and they’re always looking for high-paying jobs," he said. "If they can’t find it, they will build it."

Enormous differences in policies are evident in the new tenth annual ‘Small Business Survival Index 2005: Ranking the Policy Environment for Entrepreneurship Across the Nation,’ which I write for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.