Donna Fenn is an internationally recognized author and journalist who has been writing about entrepreneurship and small business trends for more than 25 years. She is the author…
Generation Y is starting companies at an unprecedented rate, and their approach to business is unlike anything you’ve seen. The generation described by the media as spoiled, entitled, even narcissistic, is proving these notions false…
It was so great to see friends from the Kauffman Foundation at the Inc. 500/5000 conference last week! Everyone who has ever heard me speak about Upstarts! knows that one of the huge inspirations for writing the book was Kauffman’s research on the enormous increase in entrepreneurship programs in U.S. colleges and universities. That’s driven by student demand, of course, but also frequently supported by grants from Kauffman.
According to a new Small Business Monitor survey by American Express OPEN, GenY entrepreneurs are an optimistic bunch and they’re positioned for growth despite a still shaky economy. You can read about the entire survey here, but here’s the part that I find most interesting:
“Generally speaking, the experience of older and more seasoned entrepreneurs puts them in a better position than younger entrepreneurs to manage through downturns. According to the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor, however, the tables have turned, and it’s younger business owners who are geared for growth.
The survey found that Gen Y is the most optimistic group of entrepreneurs when compared to other age groups and to the overall sample of business owners. More than three-quarters (80%) of these entrepreneurs have a significantly more positive outlook on business prospects versus Gen X and business owners overall (each 55%), and Baby Boomers (52%).
Upstarts Author Donna Fenn Talks Gen-Y Entrepreneurship from Greg Rollett on Vimeo.
A couple of days ago, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by blogger Greg Rollett. Here’s a short snippet of our interview, where we talk about GenY entrepreneurs and their strong propensity for integrating social missions into their companies. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you think of GenY as a generation of social capitalists? If you’re a GenY entrepreneur, does your company have a social mission and if so, do you think it adds value to your company? Let’s hear it!