“Startup America [is] a national campaign to help win the future by knocking down barriers in the path of men and women in every corner of this country hoping to take a chance, follow a dream, and start a business.” – President Barack Obama, January 31, 2011
In January 2011 Startup America was officially launched, but it’s only now that a major part of the initiative has really taken off. The program is designed to improve the environment for high-growth entrepreneurship, in five key areas:
- Unlocking Access to Capital
- Connecting Mentors
- Reducing Barriers
- Accelerating Innovation
- Unleashing Market Opportunities
The Startup America Partnership
Would you be able to get assistance from the Startup America program? If you think you need it, give it a try. Those who might qualify must be a for-profit startup with at least two people (founders + employees) founded since 2006 or a for-profit ramp up or speedup with at least six people (founders + employees) founded since 2001.
On Starting a Business
Entrepreneurship is the backbone of our country and our economy and it’s your best chance for a future of financial independence and satisfaction.
And starting a business, with or without the help of Startup America, can be successfully done by anyone once they learn the basics and gaining clarity on things such as viability, costs, positioning, and strategic marketing. All teachable!
The problem is that people are not only scared of today’s economy but also the potential for continued instability in the coming months and years.
But here’s another way to look at today’s situation:
Authors of the book, “Economic Turbulence: Is a Volatile Economy Good for America?” state that while any number of events — shifts in consumer demand, changes in technology, mergers and acquisitions, or increased competition — can contribute to economic turbulence, our economy as a whole is, by and large, stronger for it, because these processes of creation and destruction make it more flexible and adaptable.
Being adaptable and flexible in business are key ingredients to success and small businesses and entrepreneurs can work that magic like no big business can.
Back to the premise of Startup America, with the labor market struggling in recent years, small businesses are a logical group to look to for job recovery. They have such a large role in net job creation. Startup America is looking to small businesses to help lift us out of these down times.
This concept is partially proved by the SBA.gov report that states “firms with fewer than 20 employees accounted for [only] 24% of the net job loss from 2008 to the second quarter of 2009; firms with 20 to 499 accounted for 36%; and firms with more than 500 employees accounted for 40%.”
The greatest contributor to unemployment is big business. Again, that’s something Startup America is well aware of and why they are encouraging entrepreneurship.
It’s the entrepreneurs and small businesses that change the world – for the better.
If you’re interested in learning more about Startup America, click here.
If you’re interested in learning how to start your own business in only three days, click here.
