6 Ideas for Starting a Business

By Mary Ellen, Entrepreneurs, 6/30/2013 @ 6:17AM

Is there anything more American than starting your own business?

 With huge success stories like Bill Gates, Sam Walton and Mark Cuban, Americans see what a good idea and working hard can accomplish, and many regularly hear that independent streak calling them. A U.S. unemployment rate that remains around 7.6 percent also means that many Americans have been unable to find a full-time job with an employer, so they may be looking for ways to earn a living on their own.

Indeed, nearly half of Americans dream of starting a business, according to a recent survey by The UPS Store. And while the number of “business births” and their associated employment remain below pre-recession levels, small businesses have been at the core of the economic expansion, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Small businesses, which the SBA defines as fewer than 50 employees, represent more than 99 percent of all businesses and about half of the private-sector economy.

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