<I>Really</I> Back to Basics

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, there's been a lot of interest nationwide in getting back to basics--spending more time with family, appreciating the smaller things, learning to live in the moment. We've all been reminded that there's no telling what tomorrow may bring--as such, we don't want to waste time doing anything meaningless.

In so many ways, this back-to-basics phenomenon is validation for entrepreneurship. The whole premise behind owning your own business is to do something you really want to do, on your terms, rather than answer to someone else. Some entrepreneurs choose to take things a step further, starting a business in a small town in order to get away from the big-city life. Yet even with this desire to get back to basics, there's a perception in certain camps that entrepreneurs who start their businesses in "losing" towns won't succeed--that starting a business is hard enough as it is without the added difficulty of starting up in a town that could be set in its ways and unwilling to try new things (namely, your business).