Kauth: Fewer people starting small businesses

Ryan Kauth of the Small Business Development Center is quoted extensively in a recent statewide business column noting a decline in new business startups. “It’s definitely a trend that is going on and it’s not unique to Wisconsin. Overall, there are fewer people starting businesses from scratch or taking over an existing business,” he says. Access to capital or overall concerns about the economy could have some entrepreneurs-to-be staying on the sidelines, Kauth says, while he and others cite additional factors ranging from the aging of the Baby Boomers (less likely to be energized for the start-up challenge) or changing hiring practices by bigger and more established firms. In any event, Kauth says, “I’ve been getting more phone calls lately asking for help with getting started. That can only be a good thing.”