The Alpha Dogs Blog

Are young entrepreneurs really so different from their more mature counterparts? Yep, folks, they are! It’s something I’ve been taking note of over the past several months and a new survey by OPEN, the small business division of American Express, confirms what has been gradually seeping into my aging Baby Boomer brain: the businesses that people in their 20s are starting now look very different from the ones I’ve been covering for the past twenty years. And no, it’s not all about technology – it’s about attitude and strategy. 72% of Generation Y entrepreneurs (age 18-29) say they like to take risks, compared to just 53% of Baby Boomer entrepreneurs; and 59% of Gen Y says they plan to be serial entrepreneurs (that jumps to 67% for men!) while only 33% of baby boomers said they plan to own more than one business. Those characteristics have a tremendous impact on how people start and grow their companies, and how those companies look. It’s something I’ll be examining closely over the next few months and I’d welcome your observations. What exactly is the DNA of the Generation Y Alpha Dog? Stay tuned! In the meantime, you can read more about the OPEN/Amex survey here