Entrepreneurship could be for you
By JAN NORMAN
The Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/09/12/sections/business/business/a
rticle_671664.php


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Immigrants drive entrepreneurship
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/money/smallbusiness/article_1177
841.php

Immigrants are more likely to be entrepreneurs than native-born
Americans, according to the annual national assessment by the Ewing
Marion Kauffman Foundation in Missouri.

Approximately 350 per 100,000 immigrants started a business each
month of 2005 compared with 280 per 100,000 native-born Americans.

"The United States continues to be a very entrepreneurial nation,"
said Kauffman Chief Executive Carl Schramm.

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Q. I'm at a dead end at work and want to try something else, maybe
running my own business. Is that practical?

A. Many small-business owners say they started companies because
they couldn't help it. If you don't feel that way, you should think
twice about entrepreneurship.

Most small-business owners start out with skill in the technical
side of their venture. They know how to make something, such as
crafts, or they know how to do something, such as bookkeeping.

That's just the beginning. A business owner must be able to do many
different tasks: make the product or provide the service, create
marketing materials, send out invoices and follow up when customers
don't pay, strategize for future growth and find the best financing
deals.

Successful entrepreneurs are thick-skinned and able to forgo instant
gratification.

Here are some questions to ask:

Are you prepared to lose your savings?

Do you know your strengths and weaknesses?

•Do you have the drive, persistence and ambition to achieve and
grow?

•Do you strive for excellence?

•Are you a hard worker?

•Do you have a tolerance for stress and uncertainty?

•Do you have a low need for status and power?

•Do you get along well with others?

•Are you good at communicating?

•Are you trustworthy and reliable?

•Are you patient?

•Are you well organized?

•Do you know how to read financial statements?

•Can you live within a budget?

•Do you have good health and a high energy level?