This story appears in the
May 2002 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Looking back at the soaring late '90s business climate,
it's easy to feel a bit nostalgic. The view from the ground
when you get off the roller coaster is never as thrilling as the
view from the top. But survey entrepreneurship from a wider
perspective, like 25 years, and what we see now is easier on the
eyes.
In 1977, small businesses were poised at the bottom of that
roller coaster, with changes like the personal computer, increased
access to venture capital, and the option to finance start-ups with
credit cards about to propel them to new heights. We at
Entrepreneur feel fortunate to have been in the trenches of
this entrepreneurial revolution over the past 25 years, and in the
following pages, we examine a quarter-century of technology, money,
management and marketing. But more important, we look ahead at the
next 25 years, because what really matters is not where we've
been, but where we're going.
| ·Technology:
First it leveled the playing field. Where's it headed
now?
·Money: Capital was scarce 25 years ago.
Here's its state today.
·Management: Trends are multiplying
fast. What will stand the test of time?
·Marketing: Technology and
personalization will rule this arena.
·Franchising: Get ready . . . the golden
age of franchising is upon us.
| | 25 Years of
Entrepreneur: A timeline of the forces that
have shaped entrepreneurship through the years |
|
