I’ve been writing a great deal about entrepreneurs lately. I think it’s because the media is fascinated with them during times of economic downturns, and also because I have been working directly with a lot of markets in the past year. Those markets usually ask me the same type of questions but often, the questions come in cycles. A year ago everyone was asking about tokens and wireless machines, and this year people are asking about rules and regulations – both their own and the ones that government requires them to follow.
My impression is much of this seasonal energy comes from their vendors; I hear from markets in the spring because its time to meet with their vendors or because they need to focus on getting new ones, or because the market wants to institute a new system for vendors.
The issue is there is not only one answer to any of their questions. Most of the time, I need to come to them and gather information about their place and their entrepreneurs to be able to assist them. Really, helping the markets understand their entrepreneurs and the community that they host the market in is largely what it takes to assist a market in beginning a sustainability cycle. So articles such as this one can help any market start to think clearly on their own about their own culture.

Just How Risky Is Entrepreneurship, Really? – Bruce Gibney and Ken Howery – Harvard Business Review.