A Passion for the Game

Rhonda Abrams

Here goes -- day one of my new Yahoo! Finance small business column.

First, why the name? Like a lot of entrepreneurs launching a new business or product, I agonized over finding just the right name for my column.

It had to cover the range of stuff I'll be writing about every day -- anything and everything to do with small business and entrepreneurs: news, gossip, events, advice, opinion. And whatever else I think can help entrepreneurs succeed.

So I tried a trick I've used when trying to come up with titles for my books: I wrote down every keyword that could be associated with this column on a separate Post-it note, and then started rearranging them. (You can use this same technique to come up with new products, a new business, or marketing materials.)

I came up with words and phrases like trends, small business, expert, and advice. Passionate was one of the words that stood out, and so was entrepreneur.

As they say here in California, eureka! It was a perfect fit.

Born for the Job

I'm definitely passionate about entrepreneurship and small business. I live it, breathe it, and think about it all the time.

I guess I'm a born entrepreneur (although I don't believe you have to be a born entrepreneur to be successful). I've started four businesses and run a rapidly growing company now, and I can't imagine being someone else's employee.

I've also been an advocate for small business for many years now. I've written a small business column for over a decade, and more than seven books for entrepreneurs.

I'm passionate about what small business does for an individual and for their communities. When big corporations lay off thousands of workers at a time and outsourcing and offshoring mean that any job can be eliminated, entrepreneurship is the only reliable means for an economy to maintain its middle class.

Also, I know the power of your passion. Being passionate about business -- about your products, your people, and most important, your purpose -- gives you a competitive advantage.

Finally, I'm passionate about the topics I'm going to write about in this column. Which is a nice way of saying I'm opinionated. And isn't it great that Yahoo! is paying me for my opinions? It's about time someone did.

So, welcome to the Passionate Entrepreneur.

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