(NAPSI) - While many people know that small-business entrepreneurs are helping to raise our country out of recession, you might be surprised to learn that the faces of new business have been changing.

A recent study found that early-stage entrepreneurs are more likely to be non-white, of immigrant status and from a lower level of household income than established business owners.  The study, called the Babson Entrepreneurship Monitor, was conducted by Babson College in Massachusetts, a school specializing in entrepreneurship education.  The study findings can help states across the country employ some of the same strategies that have helped make Massachusetts the "top state in the nation for entrepreneurial activity."  Study findings include:

• The rate of entrepreneurial activity in Massachusetts is much higher than in the rest of the U.S. — 23 percent compared to 14 percent.
• New businesses tend to be started by individuals who are already working full time.
• Half of the businesses reported equal focus on profit and social goals.
• Early-stage businesses tend to be relatively innovative in terms of the products and services they bring to market and the technologies they use within the business.