Startup Nation—it's not what you would expect at the front edge of the pandemic or where you would expect it.

In the midst of the worst recession in 100 years caused by the pandemic, over 4.3 million #startups were launched (Forbes)

Fueled by 22 million rapid job losses, particularly in travel, entertainment and hospitality, people are choosing the entrepreneurial route to create their own employment opportunities and generate revenue.

✔️If the pandemic has created the necessity, technology has provided the tools – video communications, social media, cloud computing, and DIY websites have made it cheap and easy to launch a business from your home.

✔️According to #DeborahSmithCook work portability has made it possible for people to move and work from anywhere

✔️Access to fintech capital has also created a new crop of startups. According to Forbes the number of high propensity startups—potential job creators, jumped nearly 15%.

✔️Where these startups are emerging is also surprising—It's not the coastal regions as in past startup booms, but rather the deep South is driving with triple-digit growth, especially Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.

While there is no guarantee that these startups will be successful and in business five years from now, it certainly gives me optimism about our resilience and is a validation of my own path in this moment.

Now You: Have you started a venture when you least expected to?

#startups #entrepreneurs #growth #pandemic #resiliance #fintech #smallbusiness #fundraising #venturecapital