Week 2 Reading Reflection

My reflection post on the week one reading consisted of the following responses to the areas we were asked to address.  The biggest surprise for me in the reading was the noted differences between a small business owner and an entrepreneur.  I, as the book referred, had always assumed that they were one in the same.  To read the differences between the two has lead me to not only see the distinction but to also characterize each one differently.  The most confusing part of the reading to me was the information regarding the gamification of apps.  I had a hard time distinguishing whether businesses where going to be leaning towards their apps becoming more game like or actually taking part in the development of gaming apps.  I would ask the author the following questions if I had the opportunity.  Question #1- In the macro view of entrepreneurship, the environmental school of thought and the displacement school of thought seem to go hand in hand.  Each dealing with external forces that control the way an entrepreneur responds to or views progress in their ventures.  These are all macro concerns.  However, the financial capital school of thought seems to be an issue that all entrepreneurs should be concerned with regardless of having a macro or micro view.  Why would you include that school of thought all on its own?  Question #2- The Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial activity indicated that the in 2010 565,000 new businesses were created, representing the highest level of entrepreneurship over the last decade and a half.  You stated earlier in the book that a small business owner is not necessarily and Entrepreneur.  How are they differentiating between businesses that are actively engaged in new and innovative practices and small businesses that are not?  Finally, an area that I disagree with the author was presented in the impact of entrepreneurial ventures in the United States.  The author states that GEM data shows 110 million people were actively engaged in starting a business, while another 140 million were running new businesses started less than 3.5 years ago.  You go on to state that this data shows that 250 million people were engaged in entrepreneurial activity.  In the opening paragraphs of the book you drew a distinct line between small business owners and entrepreneurs, yet in this example you have effectively called them one is the same.  Overall, there was a considerable amount of interesting information in this chapter that help to better understand the contributions that entrepreneurs have on the economy.