National Entrepreneurs’ Day is a holiday observed on the third Tuesday of November that pays respect to all self-starters who have created their own businesses and enjoy a level of freedom that salaried employees do not have.

This holiday also encourages people who are still “slaves to the grind” to consider whether starting their own business is right for them. Every year in the U.S., over 600,000 new businesses are created, and there are currently 31 million entrepreneurs. That’s approximately 16% of the adult workforce.

These entrepreneurs form the backbone of the U.S. economy and help stimulate economic growth. Let’s pay respect to these individuals by observing this holiday every year.

The History of National Entrepreneurs’ Day

This holiday was created by Siamak Taghaddos and David Hauser in 2010. These two entrepreneurs are co-founders of Grasshopper—a virtual phone system that allows entrepreneurs to manage their phone calls. The holiday is designed to coincide with the last day of Global Entrepreneurship Week, which is at the end of Entrepreneurship Month.

Some Exciting Facts About Entrepreneurship

Since we know there are probably plenty of people on the fence about becoming self-employed, we thought we’d take a few moments to list some facts about entrepreneurship that we learned while conducting due diligence for this holiday article. We hope the following points will help people decide whether they want to remain in their current job or start their own businesses.

• It’s been estimated that 88% of millionaires in the U.S. are self-made entrepreneurs.
• It’s estimated that there are almost 600 million entrepreneurs worldwide.
• Approximately 6 out of 10 people who start a small business are between the ages of 40 and 60.
• According to the Global Entrepreneurship Index, the United States has the highest rating for entrepreneurs and new small businesses.
• 97% of surveyed self-employed entrepreneurs say they do not plan on ever going back to working for someone else.
• The incomes of small business owners have increased by almost 20% over the last few years.

Observing National Entrepreneurs’ Day

On this day, it is common for many organizations dedicated to entrepreneurs to host events such as seminars and symposiums to examine entrepreneurship and its role in society. This is also a day when people can take the time to consider whether they want to start their own businesses or prefer to remain an employee of someone else. It’s also a good idea for people to use the hashtag #NationalEntrepreneursDay to spread the news about this holiday.