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WHY BE A CORPORATE drone when you can run the show yourself?

That's the attitude of a growing number of young people who are eschewing traditional career paths and instead launching their own entrepreneurial ventures. Inspired by the growing prominence of small businesses and proficient in the computer skills now required to run a start-up, 20-somethings are opening firms at the most robust pace in years.

"There's a vast number of young people who are opting to be their own boss," says Daniel Kehrer, founder of BizBest and author of "100 Best Resources for Small Business." "There's an appeal to it, and the barriers to entry have dropped because of the technology."

The level of people ages 20 to 34 starting small businesses began growing during the '90s Internet boom but fell off when the dot-com bubble burst. More recently, though, the young entrepreneurs have returned, starting an estimated 202,190 businesses a month in 2004, up from 186,041 in 2000, according to the most recent research from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a Kansas City, Mo., nonprofit that supports entrepreneurship. Even among teenagers the interest is high: 69% of teens surveyed last year by Junior Achievement said they want to start their own business, up 5% from the previous year.

More young people have become attracted to entrepreneurship as the small-business market has grown, and the Internet has levelled the playing field between small and large companies. "There's now a certain credibility and a certain acceptance that comes with [entrepreneurship]," says Terri Lonier, founder of Working Solo Inc., a New Paltz, N.Y., consultant to small businesses. "It's no longer that unusual. People understand, especially with the power of the Internet, that you can compete."

While entrepreneurial spirit can't be taught, there are ways young people can boost their skills to make their dreams of running a super-successful business come true. Here are some ideas:

Consider corporate experience
It seems counterintuitive for an entrepreneur to work for The Man, but a corporate office is great place to learn about the business world.

Jason Rissman, for instance, had entrepreneurial dreams at an early age. He recalls starting a baseball-card collection at age 6 with his brother that "quickly turned into a pretty serious enterprise." He then opened a hot-dog stand at age 16 that he says was "probably one of the most fun jobs I'll ever have." But after college, he opted for a taste of the big-business world, working for a European company that advised corporations on e-commerce strategies, and interning at Miramax Films and Rainbow Media in marketing and business development. "Taking the corporate route can be great in terms of gaining both contacts and real market knowledge," he says. Now 28, Rissman is getting his MBA at New York University's Stern School of Business and has launched a start-up magazine, Shift, for which he hopes to secure additional funding. He recommends corporate experience, but only if you can stay innovative. "If you are too accustomed to the way corporations are approaching a market, or an opportunity, you might not be able to break out of the mold," he says. An internship is also a good way to gain corporate experience; listings can be found on the web at internshipprograms.com, internships.com and monstertrak.com.

Work for a small business
Pinpoint an independently owned business as close as possible to the one you hope to run. If you can't get a paying job there, consider volunteering. The experience can be more valuable than working for a big corporation, says Sarah Chiles, director of programs for NYU's Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. "Working for a big bank or working for a consumer-products company could give you the domain or sector experience, but you don't have the sense of how you go out and raise the funds you need, or work with an attorney to become incorporated — all the responsibilities of running a small corporation," she says.

Attend business school
More graduate programs now offer a specialty in entrepreneurial studies, with U.S. News & World Report giving top rankings to Babson College, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania. Murray Low, executive director of the Eugene M. Lang Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia University, says young and inexperienced students can learn theoretical concepts while working on real projects, and gain access to an alumni network. "In the last 15 years, the entrepreneurship curricula have developed significantly," he says. "We know what to teach and schools are now making it a priority." One place to search for the right program is allbusinessschools.com.

Get advice from mentors
Free counselling is available through SBA Small Business Development Centers and SCORE, a group of volunteer business counsellors who also answer questions online at score.org. Or, find a person who is running a business in your industry, and invite them out for coffee. "Ask them one simple question: 'If you were starting your business today, what piece of advice would you give?' and then shut up, because they will probably go on for hours," says Lonier. Young business owners might want to appoint a formal advisory board who can complement their skills and knowledge.

One last note: Some experts say young people such as newly minted college graduates shouldn't necessarily put off starting a business. "The tendency is to continuously put off starting your business in order to get more advice. If you're passionate, you ought to do it now," says Kehrer, of BizBest. "Jump in, and then try to gain the mentoring and the help along the way as you need it."