Georg Metzger

Once Bitten, Twice Shy? The Performance of Entrepreneurial Restarts

The aim of this paper is to analyze the effect of entrepreneurial experience on firm growth. According to the human capital theory, individuals who have higher ?human capital? are more successful than others. Entrepreneurial experience is a kind of human capital and, therefore, should affect firm performance positively. In reality, however, not all types of experience indicate enhanced knowledge alone. Bad experience, here the experience of failure, might equally be a signal for entrepreneurial weakness and, thus, an argument for exercising restraint in possible further business ventures. The ambiguous effects of this failure experience on firm success necessitate an in-depth analysis of the issue. Therefore, this paper contains an empirical comparison of firms involving experienced entrepreneurs and novice firms. The analysis shows that entrepreneurial experience affects firm growth positively. Accounting for failure experience separately reveals a negative effect. Interpreting this finding in combination with other control measures indicates that failed entrepreneurs indeed behave more cautiously regarding firm growth.

Direct Employment Effects of New Firms

Recent published studies suggest a positive relationship between new business formation and economic development (Audretsch and Fritsch, 2003; Audretsch and Keilbach, 2004; Fritsch and Mueller, 2004). Regions are, however, heterogeneous units and differ with respect to determinants of growth.1 These determinants also affect firm formation and firm growth, and one may, therefore, expect remarkable regional differences in the employment contribution of new firms. For example, Brixy and Grotz (2004) show that the cohort employment of Eastem German start-ups increased more than that of Western German start-ups in mature stages. Related to this discussion, particularly firms occupying market niches and entering into formative stages of new industries are seen as driving forces for positive employment effects in the long run. New or better products, processes, and services increase the technological competitiveness of an economy and, hence, its economic growth. Technology orientation and knowledge intensity are major characteristics of firms occupying market niches forcing its performance and survival (see Almus et al., 1999; Almus, 2001; Agarwal and Audretsch, 2001).

Afterlife – Who Takes Heart for Restart?

The performance of young and newly founded firms depends largely to the human capital of the firm owner. The entrepreneur is therefore one of the main success factors for the firm. Yet entrepreneurs differ considerably in their background and characteristics. Particularly, founders? individual entrepreneurial experience is a property that might be crucial for firm development, though it is part of the firm?s human capital, too. Business failures, namely bankruptcies, may trigger the transition from being a novice entrepreneur to becoming an entrepreneur who is entrepreneurially experienced. About 3 percent of novice entrepreneurs who file for bankruptcy reestablish afterwards. On average, slightly more than 15 months will elapse until such ?fallen? entrepreneurs venture out anew. They differ from entrepreneurs not willing or able to take a second chance in several respects.

Firm Closure, Financial Losses and the Consequences for an Entrepreneurial Restart

Many entrepreneurs who close a business are actually willing to venture anew. However, to realize a restart is not only a matter of willingness on the part of the entrepreneur but also of its feasibility. Regarding the feasibility of a restart, the aspect of capital acquisition might be particularly precarious for renascent entrepreneurs since business closures are likely to come up with financial losses. Financial losses arising from business closure can befall various stakeholders : shareholders, banks and public institutions, or suppliers and other stakeholders. The major finding of this analysis is that financial losses due to business closure strongly influence the likelihood of entrepreneurial restart - yet only when losses are incurred by banks. Losses which are incurred privately by the entrepreneurs or by other stakeholders do not influence the restart likelihood. Entrepreneurs who would seek to continue their entrepreneurial career after a business closure would be well advised to avoid causing losses at banks.

On the Role of Entrepreneurial Experience for Start-up Financing: An Empirical Investigation for Germany

Entrepreneurs are often faced with problems regarding start-up financing. But compared to novice entrepreneurs, experienced entrepreneurs should have both more knowledge and better contacts, which should potentially reduce the occurrence of problems and affect finance composition. However, experience of business failure might result in additional effects. This analysis therefore investigates the effects of experience on several aspects of start-up financing. It is based on data from the KfW Start-up Monitor, a representative annual survey of the German population. The results show that experience affects several financing issues. Yet the impacts depend on the kind of experience. With regard to previously failed entrepreneurs, who are of particular interest, the findings indicate that they cut back their financing demand and are more likely faced with problems satisfying this demand. However, previously failed entrepreneurs do not significantly differ in the sources they use to finance their businesses.

Existenzgründungen durch Migranten in Deutschland – Strukturen, Herausforderungen, Potenziale

Grunder starken die Wirtschaft, weil sie einen Erneuerungs- und Effizienzdruck auf bereits bestehende Unternehmen ausuben. So tragen Grunder dazu bei, eine Volkswirtschaft zukunftsfahig zu machen. Im Jahr 2013 haben sich 868.000 Personen in Deutschland selbststandig gemacht, 93.000 Personen mehr als im Jahr 2012. Eine Gruppe, die einen etwas hoheren Beitrag zum Grundungsgeschehen leistet als es ihrem Anteil an der Bevolkerung entspricht, sind Migranten. Etwa jeder funfte Grunder ist Migrant, hat also alleinig eine auslandische Staatsangehorigkeit oder hat die deutsche Staatsburgerschaft erworben.