Some of the most successful and inspirational entrepreneurs never set out with the goal of running a large company or employing scores of people. Many are simply men and women motivated to develop solutions to a problem they’re facing.

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Then they discover that they’re not the only ones with that need — and, lo, a successful business is born.

Sometimes dubbed “accidental entrepreneurs,” these business owners have other names, as well. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, for instance, calls them “user entrepreneurs” in its research, which has found that this group has launched more than 46 percent of startups lasting five or more years — even though they’re responsible for just 10.7 percent of U.S. startups overall.

That’s an impressive success rate.

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