With the collapse of secure corporate jobs, more people are pursuing an entrepreneurial path, says Entrepreneur.com.

The Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, which measures new startups, shows a slight rise in the creation of small businesses even since the recession began, and that is expected to continue through 2009, according to Entrepreneur.com. About 1 million people a year become self-employed, and enrollment in entrepreneurship programs at universities is up.

But how does this square with the hits small businesses have taken in the past two years?

Many experts say that the recession is actually the perfect time to begin planning a small business startup. Office space and supplies are cheaper; with larger companies closing or downsizing, there are service gaps in many areas; and with the high unemployment rate there are plenty of talented people looking for work and ready to hustle.

While entrepreneurs may not see an immediate payoff, smaller, more flexible and creative companies are the business model of the future. And new technology will be the key to creating this new entrepreneurial society.

“Suddenly, you don’t have to have a large physical plant to start a company,” Michael S. Malone, author of “The Future Arrived Yesterday: The Rise of the Protean Corporation and What It Means for You,” told Entrepreneur.com. “The cost of entry is getting close to zero — now the little guys can build a business without the overhead. The best strategy is to get small and adaptable, strip things to a solid core and hire from the cloud of talent out there — then blow up like a puffer fish when you encounter a potential market.”