Many people are driven to starting a business for money, power and maybe fame, but many more are led by simple necessity.

At a time of much-publicised youth (and adult) unemployment, there are an awful lot of people out of work who are tempted to go it alone.

The number of young people in particular who think they would be able to hack it in business is quite astonishing. Girlguiding UK's annual Girls' Attitudes Survey reveals that half of people aged 11 to 21 (46 per cent of girls and, puzzlingly given the source of the study, 54 per cent of boys) think that they could start and run their own company.

Is this enthusiasm simply a measure of the naivety of youth, or is it a reflection of young people's perception of the present and future job scene; that in today's cut-throat employment market, there is no choice but to take the bull by the horns and be one's own boss?

Of course, the eagerness to be entrepreneurial might also be explained by government encouragement. With such an intense focus on private sector growth, Cameron and co have almost willed the general populace into being more enterprising.

By the same token, entrepreneurialism seems to be cooler than ever in the UK. It seems not a week goes by without a freesheet celebrating some young, hip entrepreneur who started on a shoestring and is now setting the world on fire with their niche offering.

Is it because of the 'cool' perception that many of these young people are so keen? If so, a reality check is in order. For those sole traders and microbusinesses so often cited as constituting the 'engine room' of the economy, being cool isn't exactly high on their list of priorities, rather keeping the wolf from the door is.

Running a business certainly wouldn't work for the majority of the sample who believe they have what it takes. The unfortunate truth is, (and this is backed up by early-stage company insolvency statistics), they don't.

More importantly though, the high level of raw enthusiasm for starting a company can only mean that tomorrow's business talent pool is broader than ever. 

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See also: US inspiration for entrepreneurs