Fifty-six percent of Michigan parents in a Detroit News poll recently said they would “strongly encourage’’ their kids to start a business of their own, while two-thirds said it’s likely or somewhat likely their kids will someday start a business on their own.
In fall 2010, Michigan elected Gov. Rick Snyder, an entrepreneur venture capitalist and former Gateway Computer executive. He actually wasn’t the state’s first business CEO-turned-governor. Michigan has long been the starting place of Great Entrepreneurial Ideas and businesses. The state is also home to a large number of foundations because of innovative entrepreneurs with names like Henry Ford, W.K. Kellogg, S.S. Kresge and Edward Lowe.
Michigan in 2011 becomes home to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s first satellite office because of the large number of patents generation by Michigan businesses as well as the University Research Corridor, one of the nation’s largest innovation clusters, anchored by the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University. Michigan is home to a large network of economic development agencies, 15 four-year public colleges and universities as well as a large network of community colleges and private institutions who also work together to foster R&D and economic development and provide entrepreneurial resources and support.
Michigander and Amway founder Richard DeVos has discussed that he and his high school friend-partner Jay Van Andel spent much of their time in high school talking about starting a business. Want to talk about your entrepreneurial idea? Here are some resources:
- Richard DeVos Sr. said in Sept. 2008 that too many Michiganders have been waiting for a giant company (or government?) to arrive and “drop a plant from the sky and save them” with thousands of new jobs.
- Instead, he says Michiganders should be doing what he and Jay Van Andel did in high school: spend most of their time talking about their own entrepreneurial ideas because the answers to Michigan’s future will largely come from the Entrepreneurs and Innovators already here on the ground.
- 56% of Michigan parents now say they would “strongly encourage’’ their kids to start a business of their own. Two-thirds say it’s likely or somewhat likely their kids will someday have their own businesses.
