Janice Ballou

An Overview of the Kauffman Firm Survey: Results from the 2004-2007 Data

The Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS) dataset provides researchers with a unique opportunity to study a panel of new businesses from startup to sustainability, with longitudinal data centering on topics such as how businesses are financed; the products, services, and innovations these businesses possess and develop in their early years of existence; and the characteristics of those who own and operate them. The current data provide an understanding of how businesses are organized and operate in their first four years of existence (2004 through 2007) and provide some indicators of survival and growth. Other measures describe the characteristics of the panel, such as the extent to which these businesses are involved in innovative activities. A series of eleven tables give a broad overview of the business and owner characteristics and firm survival over the period, as well as some new information available in the third follow-up survey. Highlights include: External debt markets remain critically important for most new firms; Only about 12 percent of firms submitted new external credit applications for debt financing in 2007; Less than 10 percent of firms owned by African Americans applied for new credit in 2007, compared with nearly 13 percent of firms owned by non-Hispanic whites; About 90 percent of firms that began operations in 2004 survived through 2005, while about 80 percent survived through 2006 and 73.4 percent through 2007. Most of the remaining firms closed either permanently or temporarily over the period, while a small number, 3.5 percent, either merged with or were sold to another business; Surviving firms with employees, which are now three years old, increased average employment from 4.6 employees in 2004 to 6.7 employees in 2007; By 2007, about 40 percent of firms had revenues greater than

Subjects’ views of obligations to ensure post-trial access to drugs, care and information: qualitative results from the Experiences of Participants in Clinical Trials (EPIC) study

100,000, compared with just 17 percent in 2004; About 60 percent of surviving firms posted profits in 2007, compared with about 40 percent posting losses; Young firms are serving local and international markets; More than a quarter of firms sold at least some of their goods or services on the Internet. Nearly a quarter of those firms had Internet sales that were more than half of their total sales, while about a third of them said Internet sales were less than 5 percent of their total sales; About 60 percent of firms felt that they had a comparative advantage in the products or services that they offered.

Understanding Web Completion in a Survey of New Businesses (Presentation)

Objectives: To report the attitudes and opinions of subjects in US clinical trials about whether or not, and why, they should receive post-trial access (PTA) to the trial drug, care and information. Design: Focus groups, short self-administered questionnaires. Setting: Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Oklahoma City. Participants: Current and recent subjects in clinical trials, primarily for chronic diseases. Results: 93 individuals participated in 10 focus groups. Many thought researchers, sponsors, health insurers and others share obligations to facilitate PTA to the trial drug, if it benefited the subject, or to a therapeutic equivalent. Some thought PTA obligations include providing transition care (referrals to non-trial physicians or other trials, limited follow-up, short-term drug supply) or care for long-term adverse events. Others held, in contrast, that there are no PTA obligations regarding drugs or care. However, there was agreement that former subjects should receive information (drug name, dosage received, market approval date, long-term adverse effects, trial results). Participants frequently appealed to health need, cost, relationships, reciprocity, free choice and sponsor self-interest to support their views. Many of their reasons overlapped with those commonly discussed by bioethicists. Conclusion: Many participants in US trials for chronic conditions thought there are obligations to facilitate PTA to the trial drug at a “fair” price; these views were less demanding than those of non-US subjects in other studies. However, our participants’ views about informational obligations were broader than those of other subjects and many bioethicists. Our results suggest that the PTA debate should expand beyond the trial drug and aggregate results.

The Kauffman Firm Survey: Results from the Baseline and First Follow-Up Surveys

Surveys of new establishments continue to encounter increased levels of both non-response and costs. Factors contributing to declining participation include the prevalence of sales solicitations new businesses receive, the lack of time available to business principals to complete surveys, and gatekeepers preventing direct access to business principals. The Kauffman Firm Survey, and others, have used multi-mode data collection methods including a self-administered web component to reduce time and cost, as well as to maximize respondent convenience. Understanding how establishments differ by mode of completion will inform future establishment web survey development. This paper will compare differences in industry, size, and complexity among businesses completing the web survey before and after CATI prompting, and those completing a CATI interview.