This is an important time for you as you begin your graduate education and start to think about career planning.

Many changes are taking place. For example, every 30 seconds someone receives a pink slip in a large U.S. corporation due to downsizing. Corporate layoffs and hiring freezes accounted for 223,000 jobs lost in April, 2001. Mass layoffs are the cause of a deteriorating job market.

That is one reason why most of our nation's labor work force works in small business. So you have to consider these important questions: Will there be a job for me when I complete my graduate program? Or, should I change career fields?

Small Businesses:

• Make up 98% of all U.S. businesses.
• Employ 35% of the nation's private sector workforce.
• Create more jobs than big businesses
• Produce 38% of the nation's GDP.
• Account for 42% of business sales.
• Create four times the amount of innovations per R&D dollar spent than medium-sized firms, and twenty four times as many as large companies

Surveys show that owners of small businesses believe they work harder, earn more money, and are happier than if they worked for a large company. Therefore, you should consider the benefits and opportunities of small business ownership, such as:

• Opportunity to gain control over your own destiny.
• Opportunity to reach your full potential.
• Opportunity to reap unlimited profits.
• Opportunity to contribute to society and be recognized for your efforts.

Other facts, which pertain to trends in the U.S. work-at-home population, may be of interest to you. In the past five years, the work-at-come population has increased by 53%. Over 46 million people work at home including:

• Primary self-employed home workers.
• Telecommuters.
• Part-time self-employed home workers.
• Corporate after-hours home workers.

We have been listed as one of the top 25 business schools for small business/entrepreneurship by Success Magazine. Furthermore, the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship selected us as the best MBA Entrepreneurial Program in the country.

In my opinion, the entrepreneurship/small business program is very dynamic, practical, and exciting. On behalf of our faculty and staff, I welcome you to the program and the School of Business and Public Management.

What Do E/SB Students Go On To Do?
Just in the last 10 years, over 60 businesses have been started by GW entrepreneurs. Others go on to help develop strategy for small and medium sized businesses. While yet a significant amount of students pursue work with consulting companies who value the broad education gained in the Entrepreneurship Program. Typical positions that Entrepreneurship Concentration students go on to take are Management Consultant, Strategy Consultant, Owner, CEO, Venture Capital Fund Manager, Product Manager, Brand Manager, Business Development Manager, Project Manager, Financial Consultant, and Operations Manager (just to name a few).