The entrepreneurship era began during the 1980s and after the short-lived recession of the 1990s during which thousands of displaced workers chose to work for themselves, the entrepreneurial drive really exploded said Donald F. Kuratko, founding director of the Entrepreneurship Program.

A decade later, new- and old-economy start-ups are proliferating due to new technologies and a wealth of available capital, he said.

"Ten years ago people were saying that the entrepreneurial trend was just a fad and it would quickly wear down," Kuratko said. "Instead, it created a wave of entrepreneurial thinking across this country. It took the country by storm."

"It isn't just something as simple as starting a new business," he said. "Major companies, whether they be for-profit or nonprofit, are trying to capture that spirit to make firms more innovative and creative."

Kuratko, the Jeff and Teri Stoops Distinguished Professor of Business, has been teaching entrepreneurial thinking for nearly two decades at Ball State. His textbook is used by most major universities and colleges across the nation and his program is ranked in U.S. News and World Report's Elite Top Five.

Despite the recent myriad of dot-com failures, Kuratko points out that investors can't wait to pour their funds into technology- and Internet-based companies if they are based on a solid financial foundation.

To entice potential investors, new venture capital firms are being created which tend to favor companies with a solid track record and focus on particular industries.

"I just got back from a conference on the west coast with a number of venture capitalists, Kuratko said. "They are waiting in the wings to invest in the future of companies they believe in."

"These investors understand how technology - especially biotechnology - will play a role in future economic growth," he said. "Investors know there is a great deal of money to be made. But, you have to pick firms that are based on solid business principles."

By Marc Ransford, Communications Manager

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Kuratko by e-mail at dkuratko@bsu.edu or by phone at (765)285-5327.)