Confirming this will help Cooperative Extension plan its future entrepreneurial support role. Background The number of small businesses in the U.S. economy quickly grew during the 1990s. The growth in the number of small businesses is expected to continue into the new millennium. Corporations are no longer viewed as lifetime employers, even if the individual would like that to be the case. Nor can workers expect that corporate jobs will fulfill their psychological and sociological needs.
Quality of life represents a third reason for starting a business.
The technological revolution has made working at home or in a small business more viable. Often women are not able to rise beyond a certain level within the corporate environment. These reasons for growth are predicted to continue and to drive the increasing numbers of individuals starting a business. At the same time, however, many businesses fail or do not achieve the success needed to continue a growing economy. Success, measured simply by staying in business, is an elusive goal for many entrepreneurs.