Thursday, April 10, 2008

Mind Your Own Business: Helping Teens Develop an Entrepreneurial Spirit

According to the "Mind Your Own Business" website, did you know that of the nearly 26 million businesses in the U.S., all but 17,000 are considered to be "small"? 89% of American employer firms have less than 20 employees. So, if you are not an entrepreneur most people still work in small businesses. Also, according to a recent Junior Achievement poll, 70.9% of teenagers said they want to be their own boss someday.

I ran into the "Mind Your Own Business" website doing some research on small businesses and entrepreneurship. The U.S. Small Business Administration and Junior Achievement have partnered to create this great website to help young people turn their entrepreneurial ideas into reality. This site is for both people with experience in entrepreneurship or just starting out. There are many resources on this website and it is divided into five easy steps of Exploring, Deciding, Building, Connecting, and Succeeding.

The U.S. Small Business Administration provides many resources, free programs, and counseling to small businesses. Junior Achievement is a volunteer organization that brings community leaders into classrooms to teach community based exercises to young children.

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