Anna-Mari Simunaniemi

Early stages of service business - review and synthesis

Many stage models have been introduced to clarify management priorities during the early stages of business growth. However, many of these models are conceptual and universal, providing only limited benefits to specific industries and business contexts. The early stages of technology-based ventures have attracted interest, while little attention has been paid to the early stages of service-based firms. This study examines the early stages of growth in service-based firms. The following research questions are posed: What are the basic characteristics of recent empirical studies on the early stages of service-based firms? What are the themes and sequential patterns in the early stages of service-based firms as revealed in the recent empirical literature? This study provides a meta-analytical review designed to answer the research questions. A group of recent empirical-stage models of the early stages of service-based business were selected for meta-analysis and synthesis. The meta-analysis integrates the findings of these models and introduces a self-evaluation framework for the early stages of service-based companies.

Growth management of eHealth service start-ups

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to focus on the early development of eHealth service start-ups. To elaborate the research problem, the study addresses the following research questions: How do managerial experiences in eHealth service start-ups relate to the central findings of the recent empirically based stages-of-growth literature? What context-specific viewpoints should be considered when using the stage framework in relation to eHealth service start-ups? Design/methodology/approach - In this explorative multiple case study, the authors test a growth framework describing the early stages of eHealth service firms through eight case studies. The authors utilise the critical incident technique and semi-structured interviews in the data collection. Findings - When taking into account the key contradictions assessed in the study as well as context-specific features of eHealth businesses, the empirically based stage framework seems to be a useful starting point for reflecting on and predicting the challenges faced during the early development of eHealth service start-ups. Slow growth due to several factors and the essential role of the public sector were commonly emphasised elements of the context-specific viewpoints of the eHealth service business. Practical implications - The results may be used in start-ups and intermediary organisations as a framework for predicting managerial challenges during the start-up stage of an eHealth service business. Originality/value - Numerous universal models and frameworks have attempted to clarify management priorities during the early stages of business. However, context-specific viewpoints and their effects on start-ups have not been broadly studied. This study provides new insights into growth management in the eHealth context.

Participatory Design of a Persuasive Mobile Application for Helping Entrepreneurs to Recover from Work

Involving end-users in a participatory design process may help researchers and developers to gain better understanding of the end users’ views about the target system. In this study, we utilized participatory design approach with focus group meetings and participatory design workshops to figure out requirements for persuasive features of a mobile application for entrepreneurs to recover from work related strain and stress. In many cases, end-user participation in the design process may lead into building more efficient persuasive technology solutions and at least avoidance of many of the design pitfalls, but setting up meetings and organizing workshops can be time-consuming.

Micro-Business Owner-Managers’ Growth Intentions in Sparsely Populated Areas in Northern Finland

This research provides new information on the prerequisites for micro firms operating in sparsely populated areas. Micro-business constitutes a numerically dominant group in every economy. In recent years, small businesses and small and medium enterprises, the latter two of which form the backbone of many countries’ economies, have attracted considerable research attention. This study has a twofold aim: (1) to highlight the scant attention paid by researchers to micro-enterprises and (2) to investigate the growth of independently owned micro-businesses and compare self evaluated growth stages with the change in the turnover volume. This case study synthesises two empirical stage models into two self-evaluation frameworks used for 53 technology- and service-based firms. The results indicate that the selected growth stages correspond relatively well to the micro-businesses’ growth.

Critical Incidents of Growth in Nordic eHealth Service Start-Ups

Technological development and digitalisation can revolutionise healthcare delivery and provide new business opportunities for innovative start-ups. Start-up businesses in the healthcare service sector are a promising source of new employment and innovations. The start-up stage is the most critical period for the survival of a business, as decisions made during the early stages have a definitive influence on success. This study seeks to clarify the early development of eHealth service start-ups. To summarise the research problem, the authors ask the following question: What are the critical incidents related to the early development of eHealth service start-ups? The units of analysis in this study are 14 Nordic eHealth service start-ups located in Sweden and Finland. The Critical Incident Technique (CIT) and semi-structured interviews were applied for data collection. The results are of interest to the public sector, which plays an essential role in healthcare as a service producer, but also as a creator of the business conditions of and opportunities for small businesses. EHealth service start-ups will provide fresh insights into the challenges and opportunities of the eHealth business sector.