Sterling Silver

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.