This individualized, competency-based unit on understanding the nature of small business, the first of 18 modules, is on the third level of the revised Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship (PACE). Intended for the advanced secondary and postsecondary levels and for adults wanting training or retraining, this unit, together with the other materials at this level, emphasizes the actual application of a business plan. Four competencies are dealt with in this instructional unit, including (1) analyzing the personal advantages of owning one's own small business, (2) analyzing the personal risks of owning one's own small business, (3) analyzing how to maximize the opportunities and minimize the risks, and (4) determining what entrepreneurial skills one would need to start a business. Materials provided include objectives, preparation information, an overview, content (with questions in margins that guide the students' reading), activities, assessment forms, and notes and sources. The unit requires using approximately 3 hours of class time. (YLB)