Starting and owning a business can be exciting and fulfilling. It does, however, come with risks. The decision to start your own business should be made with a full understanding of the risks that go with it. Many new businesses do not make it past their second or third year. When I started my printing and publishing business right after college, most magazines didn't make it to their second issue! According to the Small Business Association (SBA) only half of all business make it to 5 years. But, that also means that half DO survive. 1/ The text compares the failure rate for small businesses with the divorce rate in marriage and the student failure rate in college. Are these fair comparisons? 2/ How do you think the causes of small business failure discuss in chapter 1 relate to the quality of management? Is there one that's more important than the others? 3/What techniques can a small business use to prevent failure? Use a real world example if you have one. 4/ What do you think is the future of small business? In what industries will it be most involved? What trends do you foresee? Will the failure rate go up or down? Will the importance of small business increase or decrease by 2025