OPEN Ends Another Successful Year with a Well-Attended Program

It is a reality: Most new businesses quickly become part of statistics--bad statistics for that matter; these businesses join the ranks of failed enterprises. The conspicuous aspects of a flopped business are too obvious to miss: a vacant shop or office, a cancelled business license, a dissolution of incorporation filed with the state, and an occasional lawsuit. What are not obvious are the inconspicuous elements of the failure: marriages that are torn asunder, friendships that are strained, and other relationships that suffer an irreparable blow.

But OPEN, Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs and Professionals, in its December 8 event, kept its eyes on the positive aspects of entrepreneurship and produced three sets of entrepreneurs who were friends before they started their respective businesses together--the success of their enterprises were keeping their friendships strong. "Just Between Friends, Starting and running companies with people you already know ", OPEN's last event of 2010, was produced in partnership with 'The Indus Entrepreneurs' (TiE), a large group of South Asian entrepreneurs. The program was arranged at the TiE Conference Center in Santa Clara. OPEN can be considered a breakaway faction of TiE, but unlike the atmosphere associated with the obvious South Asian breakaway analogy OPEN enjoys amicable relationship with its parent entity.