“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” -Kauffman Foundation In the mid-1960’s, Ewing Marion Kauffman, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, created the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The foundation is one of the largest in the country, and it has an asset base of approximately $2 billion. According to their mission, the vision of the Kaufmann Foundation is to help ““a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens, contributing to the improvement of their communities.” Included in this vision are two main objectives: advancing entrepreneurship and developing education for the next generation. There are four central programs in the Kaufmann Foundation. These include Entrepreneurship, Advancing Innovation, Education, and Research and Policy. Each one is multi-dimensional and interconnected to foster economic improvement. The basis of foundations revolves around entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneurship Team utilizes Kauffman Foundation resources to help create jobs, foster innovation, and impact local and global economies. To accomplish this, they work with researchers, educators, and other partners to help grasp the immense impact of entrepreneurship. Understanding the significance of entrepreneurship then allows training for the next generation with appropriate skills and improves the environment to start and extend businesses. The Kaufmann Foundation also recognizes the potential of universities across the world. Many groundbreaking research and technologies are born on campuses, but they are unable to reach the market or become sustainable for the long run. The Advancing Innovation area of the foundation is working to maximize the potential of these universities through more streamlined systems, as well as partnerships with philanthropists and industry. This combination should help sustain the commercialization of university discoveries. Third, the Kaufmann Foundation focuses on Education. This initiative focuses on creating opportunities for everyone to be exposed to the entrepreneurial spirit through their studies. The programs encourage acceleration in technology, science, math and engineering. Finally, Research and Policy is the last piece of the puzzle. They look to utilize government programs for economic development. The foundation is the largest private founder of economic research focused on growth. Innovation and collaboration are the keys to entrepreneurial growth. Starting a business can be a daunting task. There is risk involved, but educating yourself and maximizing the probability of success through education can make the difference. Businesses start small, and TaxSlayer Books is with you to encourage growth of your business. Small business accounting software is just one piece of the puzzle to entrepreneurial achievement. Nevertheless, it’s important to have your finances in place to foster financial success.