I have several questions about people who have left corporations to
start their own businesses. The best information you can find will be
helpful; I have not previously researched this area. If it would be
better to split these up into separate requests, please let me know.
Thanks in advance for your help!

1) How many people who are leaving corporations because of downsizing
or voluntary separation are moving on to start their own businesses?
(Figures for the U.S. and Canada would be fine in all cases, but any
worldwide information would be useful, too.)

-- What is the demographic breakdown of these corporate
employees-turned-entrepreneurs?

-- How have the numbers shifted over time? Are the various demographic
subgroups increasing, decreasing, or staying level?

2) What special STRENGTHS do corporate expatriates bring to their new
businesses, in contrast to those of other entrepreneurs? For example,
do they tend to be more technology-savvy, disciplined, structured,
systematic, and/or process-oriented?

3) What CHALLENGES or disadvantages do corporate expatriates face that
might be linked to their corporate backgrounds? For example, do they
tend to be more risk-averse, more conditioned to think with an
employee mindset, and so forth?

4) What types of soul searching, if any, are people doing at this
juncture? For example, of those who proceed to start their own
businesses:

-- How many seek mostly bread-and-butter businesses or franchises
(things they might be interested in but not passionate about)?

-- How many take time to determine what their real passions in life
are, and then pursue those passions once they figure them out?

-- Are the passion-in-life entrepreneurs mostly in the baby boomer
generation, or are they scattered throughout the demographic
breakdown?

-- Are there any data on the success of entrepreneurs (in terms of
years in business, income, health, etc.) who have pursued businesses
about which they were passionate vs. those who pursued
bread-and-butter businesses? (This could be more general data, beyond
corporate employees-turned-entrepreneurs.)

5) How many of the entire group seek job, career, and/or business
startup advice, and what is the breakdown by the types of advice
sought?