Starting a small business is no easy feat. While the job market is starting to gain momentum again, many people are taking their career into their own hands and are starting to actively learn more about becoming an entrepreneur. Babson College entrepreneurs were recently announced as finalists in the 2010 MassChallenege entrepreneurship competition. Ten teams from Babson, ranging from undergraduates to graduate students, will move on to the final judging round in October. Being one of the finalist teams places the Babson team in the “accelerator stage,” which means that each team is matched with a mentor, assigned to a law firm for free advice and is given free office or lab space in order to work on their final pitches. MassChallege is a non-profit out of Massachusetts that works with early stage entrepreneurs to give them the resources that they need to launch their business, according to the company’s website. According to the Small Business Association, as of 2005 small businesses represent 99.7% of businesses in the U.S. and employ more than 55 million people.  |