It is one of our saddest economic statistics: More than half small businesses fail within a few years of startup.
Unlike the cheery pictures presented in advertising or the success stories showcased on Shark Tank, a significant percentage of fledgling enterprises sputter and eventually die. Only 1 in 43 has any employees after 10 years. These startups don’t create much economic value. The vast majority don’t even earn as much for their founders as those people could have earned working for someone else. Dreams die, jobs are lost, and communities lose their vitality.
It does not have to be this way. In fact, if we want a robust economy with job growth, we must do something about it. I think that the solution is deceptively simple: entrepreneurs should stop thinking so much about the idea behind the business and focus instead on how to lead it.
The mission of ChangeThis: to support and spread great ideas.
Great ideas = Passion. Conviction. Knowledge. Education. Thought. Persuasion. Freedom. Appeal. Change. Point-of-View. Self-Betterment. Inspiration.
The original idea behind ChangeThis came from Seth Godin, and it was built in 2004 by him and a merry band of interns. In the summer of 2005, ChangeThis was turned over to 800-CEO-READ, and they have been keeping the project up and running ever since. To learn more about 800-CEO-READ, visit their website.
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