Entrepreneurs are the heroes of the world

Synchronistically to my post about business being a noble calling, I found someone who really hit the nail on the head. It is from the winter Cato Institute Letter, and is titled "Entrepreneurs Are the Heroes of the World."

During the last 100 years, we have created more wealth, reduced poverty more, and . . . → Read More: Entrepreneurs are the heroes of the world

Painful but good

I found it painful to read this article about pitfalls to avoid when starting an internet business. Too many of them are things that have occurred to me as good ideas in the past.

Don’t start a business teaching how to make money online. Choose non-internet related niches. Don’t focus on making money. Don’t . . . → Read More: Painful but good

Portland ranks #1

According to the Sustainlane 2006 City Rankings, Portland Oregon is the number one best city when ranked by economic and quality-of-life measures.

The study measured the top 50 cities in the country. For reference, other cities I or my wife have lived in are:

#37 Omaha, NE #10 Minneapolis, MN #14 Austin, TX #7 . . . → Read More: Portland ranks #1

Fascinating comparison of state business taxes

The Tax Foundation releases an annual report comparing the various U.S. states’ business tax climates. This year’s report is out, and I think it is well worth a read.

The Rankings The top 5 “Good Climate” states are: Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, Florida and Nevada. My home state, Oregon, is number 10. California, just . . . → Read More: Fascinating comparison of state business taxes

Dan Kennedy on Debt

I’m reading”No B.S. Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs” by Dan Kennedy. He’s got a lot to say, and the book is filling up with highlighted notes. One section stood out for me. . . . → Read More: Dan Kennedy on Debt

More millionaires than you can shake a stick at

There are more millionaires in the U.S. than I realized. According to the New York Times, there are 8.9 million families with a net worth of $1 million or more in the U.S. today.

Particularly interesting was the statistic that one in seven were in 13 counties out of the whole nation: L.A., Cook . . . → Read More: More millionaires than you can shake a stick at

No need to be the hero

By talking with a group of young people about whether they would ever think of starting their own business, author Dave Pollard found several common fears, which he has taken the time to debunk in a thoughtful article.

The one fear that stood out to me the loudest was that they were afraid they . . . → Read More: No need to be the hero

Correcting entrepreneurial myths

I’m always amazed at how the right information finds me at just the right time. I’m in the process of launching a new business, and today I found an article at entrepreneur.com which addresses 5 (really 6) common myths about starting a business.

Myth #0: 90% fail in 1-2 years

Actually, more than 50% . . . → Read More: Correcting entrepreneurial myths

My virtual coffee table

Wow, I’ve got a few books on my coffee table, eh? . . . → Read More: My virtual coffee table

Thoughts on going solo

…once you are about 30, you are pretty much done ascending the ranks. You’ll move at most one rung up or down from there. At that point “they” quit mentoring & teaching you quite as hard, figuring you’ve reached your level. So, that’s the perfect time to switch careers from business drone to entrepreneur. . . . → Read More: Thoughts on going solo