The statistics are harsh for start-up businesses. In the last year that statistics are available—2005—there were 671,800 firms and 54,800 closures (both about 10% of the total) according to the Small Business Administration. No one segment is immune, or more prone to failure, but as anyone in the media or publishing business knows, these are tough times. With competition for ad dollars coming from the Internet and other sources, many magazines are folding. Not Rockland Business Digest. The good news is that RBD has made it to that crucial 12-month plateau and according to co-publisher Ken Mahoney, “we’re turning a corner. We have a new advertising team in place and we’re reaching more advertisers with our very concentrated demographics.” (read more)

Why do people want to start their own businesses, knowing the challenges that lie ahead? Most small business owners say they are driven by living and working by their own rules. According to an OPEN from American ExpressSM Small Business Monitor survey, 43% of small business owners say they relish the freedom that comes with being the boss. Nearly one-quarter (23%) says that every day is “like a box of chocolates”—they never know what will happen next. Others enjoy running a profitable business (15%), learning new things about themselves as a person and as a business owner (10%) and “living on the edge” through their business (4%). (read more)