The Business Launch Decision: An Empirical Investigation of Reasons for Not Starting a New Business

This article presents the results of a survey that examined the business launch decision. All of the individuals in the study al/ended a workshop on how to evaluate a business idea and launch a new venture. All of the individuals who all ended the workshop were interested in, but decided against, launching a new venture. The results of the study indicate that time constraints, availability of capital, and risk tolerance are perceived as significant obstacles by potential new business owners. Significant differences in the ranking of obstacles were found relative to whether the individuals believed that the obstacles to launch could be overcome, age of the respondent, and whether the individuals had previously owned a business. In addition, individuals who were more highly educated and had previous business ownership were less likely to launch a new business subsequent to the workshop. The results of the study can be used by service providers and consultants who develop training programs that assist individuals in the screening of business ideas and launching of new firms. The results of the study also can be incorporated into college curriculum to provide students with insight into obstacles impacting on business launch

Development of a niche agriculture small business money map and process to disseminate information

A key constraint for small businesses is the dearth of operating capital. The situation is especially critical for niche market agricultural enterprises. This project identified barriers in access to capital for niche marketers

An Empirical Investigation of Bootstrap Financing Among Small Firms

This study examines the use of 27 bootstrap financing methods among a sample of 91 small firms. Owners\u27 rankings of the importance suggested that bootstrap financing was not central to their firms \u27financing strategy. Owners who had greater difficulty of raising capital ranked bootstrap financing methods that (I) slowed disbursements, (2) generated cash, and (3) subsidized operations as being more important than owners who experienced less difficulty in raising capital. Owners who believed their firms were more undercapitalized ranked bootstrap financing methods that (I) slowed disbursements. (2) generated cash, and (3) minimized investment as being more important than owners who experienced less difficulty in raising capital. The use of bootstrap financing was also directly related to the risk of the firm. The results can be used by owners of small firms, consultants, and support agencies that provide assistance to small firms in areas of financial planning and capital acquisition. Understanding the use and availability of all sources of capital will enable owners to obtain a comprehensive understanding of capital alternatives and financial strategies. Agencies that provide support services can use the information to better assist small firms in developing financing strategies. This information could easily be built into training programs for both new and existing small businesses

The Familiarity of Small Technology-Based Business Owners with Sources of Capital: Impact of Location and Capitalization

This paper examines issues related to the acquisition of capital by a sample of 142 small technology-based firms. Specifically, the study investigates the relationship between owners of small technology-based firms\u27 familiarity with the alternative sources of capital and (I) location of the business and (2) amount of capital raised by the business. The results show that familiarity with alternative sources of capital is affected by the location of the business and amount of capital raised by the company. The results have several implications affecting small business owners, providers of capital, and policy-makers. First, many small business owners are relatively unfamiliar with many sources of capital that are used to fund growth. Second, owners of small technology-based firms indicate low familiarity with government financing programs. Third, owners of small technology-based firms in smaller communities are less familiar with sources of capital commonly used to finance growth. Fourth, owners of small technology-based firms are relatively unfamiliar with methods of bootstrap financing

Facilitating the Flow of Capital to Niche Agricultural Producers in Rural Markets

Availability of capital has historically been a challenge in rural markets. Niche agricultural producers face a daunting task when trying to raise capital because they commonly have business models that are not well understood by providers of capital and, thus, they are considered high risk. As a consequence, traditional lenders are often apprehensive about providing financing because of this perceived risk. The successful flow of capital is a common challenge both for small firms seeking to acquire capital and for providers of capital. The ability to obtain funding is predicated on a matching of applicant’s characteristics, as documented according to the funder’s requirements. Niche agricultural producers may be representative of a group of potential capital users who view the loan application process is a barrier, rather than an opportunity, to growth of their business. Technical assistance can help overcome these barriers by educating the applicant about the process and requirements associated with capital acquisition. Government programs attempt to fill the financing gap by providing technical assistance that lowers perceived risk and expanding the borrowers’ business networks. Understanding the alternatives in the capital acquisition process can help niche agricultural producers in their search for capital and assist governments and communities in developing policies that can facilitate the flow of capital

Effect of Professional Background on Venture Capital Proposal Evaluation

This paper reports on the differences in investment related activities and evaluation criteria of venture capitalists having a business background compared to venture capitalists having a non-business background . Data was collected from a nationwide survey of 72 venture capitalists. The results show that venture capitalists having a non-business background invest in earlier stages of the firm. require a shorter payback period and make more follow-up investments than business background venture capitalists. The non-business background venture capitalists place greater importance on the uniqueness of the product , the cost structure of the project and the entrepreneur\u27 s health and less importance on exit procedures than business background venture capitalists

Small Business Capitalization Patterns

This study investigates the initial capitalization and financing patterns of recently established (new) and established (old) small businesses in Iowa. Analysis of survey responses indicates that significant differences exist between these two groups of firms. Specifically, new firms are found to have relied more heavily on debt financing than old firms. This suggests that new firms with high debt loads are likely not to survive and become old firms

Financing Patterns of Minority-Owned Small Business

This study examines the initial, seasonal, and refinancing characteristics of 67 minority business owners. The results are compared to the financial characteristics of women-owned and mixed ownership small firms. Minority-owned firms are found to rely primarily on equity to finance initial operations. Minority business owners' initial debt was commonly obtained through Small Business Administration (SBA)guaranteed loans and government grants. A very large percent of the minority business owners who acquired debt were required to provide numerous supporting documents. The results indicate that minority firms that experienced difficulty in obtaining initial capital continue to experience financial problems relating to operations

Influences on Frequency of Preparation of Financial Statements Among SMEs

This paper examines factors that impact the frequency of financial statement preparation among a sample of 312 SMEs. Specifically, the study examines the relationship between how often financial statements are prepared and (1) whether the financial statements are used to make decisions and (2) owners’ confidence in the reliability of their financial statements. Financial statements provide important information that should be used to help guide decisions. The findings showed that the frequency of financial statement preparation was directly associated with whether the financial statements were used to make decisions and inversely associated with owners’ confidence in the reliability of their financial statements. Additionally, the results showed that the frequency of financial statement preparation was directly associated with gender and size of community in which the firm was located. The results should be useful for owners of SMEs and providers of services to SMEs to better understand which factors affect how often financial statements are prepared and to provide business development assistance

New Technology-Based Firms\u27 Persuit of SBIR Funds

This paper presents the results of a study that investigated the relationship between characteristics of firms and their experience with applying for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding. The basic issues investigated are (1) the relationship between firm characteristics and the decision to apply for SBIR funding, and (2) the relationship between firm characteristics and whether the SBIR application was successful. The results of the study demonstrate that local efforts to promote the SBJR program by encouraging firms to apply and by increasing the visibility of workshops can lead to a greater number of firms to apply for SBIR funding. Efforts directed at firms in small communities may be even more effective than efforts directed towards firms in large communities. The results also suggest that organizations that provide SBIR assistance may consider screening potential clients according to the business goals of firm’s owners. Owners of life-style firms may need extra encouragement and, perhaps, assistance to apply for SBJR funding. Finally, the results also imply that firms that are smaller (as compared to larger firms), have more limited experience raising capital, and serve a smaller market may need greater assistance in pursuing SBIR funding