Americans have long believed in the importance of entrepreneurs to the health of our economy. We see ourselves as risk-takers and innovators. Today more than ever, the entrepreneur is celebrated, failure is accepted as a cost of doing business, and starting your own company is seen as a path to achieving the American Dream. Although it’s difficult to measure directly, entrepreneurship is understood to be a way to a middle class life. In an economy where traditional manufacturing jobs have gone offshore, and globalization and technology have put pressure on U.S. wages, small businesses may be an even more critical pathway than ever to mobility and opportunity – not just for the business owner, but also for those who fill the jobs that business creates.