Search Results (8)

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are vital drivers of economic growth in Kenya, yet they face persistent barriers, including limited capacity, financial exclusion, and weak market integration. This study assessed the potential of universities as strategic hubs for MSME capacity building through a collaborative initiative between Egerton University and the KCB Foundation. Using the International Labour Organization’s Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) methodology, 481 entrepreneurs from Egerton, Njoro, and Gilgil were trained in a business development bootcamp. This study evaluated the training effectiveness, participant demographics, confidence in skill application, networking outcomes, and satisfaction levels. The results showed high participant confidence (over 95% across all regions), strong financial management uptake (85%), and mobile banking adoption (70%). Gilgil led in inclusivity and peer engagement, while Njoro showed stronger gender representation. However, logistical challenges caused 25% absenteeism in rural areas, and only 23% accessed post-training mentorship. These findings underscore the transformative role of HEIs in fostering sustainable entrepreneurship through localized, inclusive, and industry-aligned training. Policy recommendations include hybrid delivery models, tiered curricula for diverse skill levels, and institutionalized mentorship through public–private partnerships. This case demonstrates the value of embedding entrepreneurship support within university mandates to advance national MSME development agendas. Full article

The emergence of entrepreneurship institutions, as a mechanism, is not only for sustainability, but access to micro-financing for entrepreneurs has also become pivotal owing to the heightened spate of economic degradation, growing poverty rates, and an upsurge in rural–urban migration, all currently occurring across the globe. This study adopted a descriptive survey research method, gathering data by using a questionnaire that served as the basis for analysis. Regression analysis techniques from the Statistical Package for Social Science were used to test the hypothesis. The study’s participants and research population, respectively, comprised 711 active National Youth Service Corps members from the Aniocha-North Local Government Area in the Delta State in Nigeria. The results indicate that entrepreneurship institutions impact entrepreneurs’ access to micro-financing and enterprise sustainability in emerging economies. Hence, the study recommends, as a policy implication, that entrepreneurship institutions should be established with capacity to provide for micro-finance enterprises, which will guarantee their sustainability, productivity and viability. Full article

The subject of this research is related to sustainable tourism and its connection with lifestyle entrepreneurship. The Portuguese business fabric is formed by micro, small, and medium sized enterprises which have emerged in big numbers over the last years, mainly related directly and indirectly to the tourism industry. The discussed issue of this study is whether these companies are a vehicle for sustainable tourism in rural areas. Via a qualitative method, through a comparative case study of 11 businesses, the goal is to evaluate if the lifestyle entrepreneurship initiatives promote sustainable tourism in rural areas, identifying the specific business created and evaluating their growth toward the planned strategies and actions related to internal resources and capacity, as well as marketing. Lastly, the results present the plans made for growth according to the necessary balance among economic progress, environment, public health, and a social context. This study promotes decision tools for entrepreneurs and destination managers as to the practices to be adopted with the goal of sustainable development. Thus, in terms of ecological responsibility, the use of renewable energy through biomass is a very efficient practice because it both produces energy and reduces waste, since the energy production comes from plants and animal waste. Full article

This study was set out to chiefly examine the influence of psychological traits—need of achievement (“N of Ach”) and risk-taking propensity (RTP)—on perceived usefulness (PUF) and perceived ease of use (PercEU), as well as their effects on the intention to use e-commerce among rural micro-entrepreneurs. This study exploited the psychological traits theories and the technology acceptance model (TAM) by utilizing samples represented by rural micro-entrepreneurs. The results of the study found that the N of Ach and RTP significantly influence PUF and PercEU. The two original TAM constructs and PercEU have significant relationships with PUF and intention. At the same time, it was also found that there exists a significant relationship between PUF and intention. This study therefore serves to fill the gaps where N of Ach and RTP of rural micro-entrepreneurs are seldom tested to examine the effects of perceptions of benefits and ease of use on the adoption of e-commerce. On top of that, this study provides vital input to policy makers and stakeholders of rural development in their efforts to increase the adoption of e-commerce among rural micro-entrepreneurs. Full article

In today’s Polish economy, management processes in agri-business should be considered and taken into account in a more comprehensive way. The accession to the European Union created an obligation for Poland to implement solutions arising from the Common Agricultural Policy. Due to factors related to management in agri-business, farmer-entrepreneurs started to pay more attention to issues connected with the management process. An agricultural holding, like every enterprise, in order to be competitive and achieve a constant market presence, needs to adapt its production to current needs, invest in its development (thus, contributing to the development of rural areas), improve the quality of its products, and modernise. Management of agricultural enterprises is specific in character because the decisions that are made often concern not only production or investment, but also creation of actions that rely on management solutions. The aim of the paper is to present an original imperative (the imperative in article is a synonym for the word model) that is estimated by the method of least squares and uses panel data related to the measure ‘Creation and development of micro-enterprises’, including the implementation of funds for modernisation and development of investments in micro-enterprises. The results of the study made it possible to assess the effects of managing agricultural micro-enterprises in 16 provinces in Poland in the context of the decisions they made regarding the use of the funds under the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007–2013. These results can be used in the assessment of RDP management in the current financial perspective 2014–2020, which attests to their universality. Full article

This study intends to examine the effect of economic vulnerability on participation in development initiatives, household income, micro-enterprise income and net worth of micro-enterprise asset among low-income households in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. Adopting a cross-sectional design, this study collected data from randomly selected 450 micro-entrepreneurs who were being served by three major development organizations in Kelantan, Malaysia. The findings revealed that the level of economic vulnerability among the respondents had a significantly negative effect on the participation of development initiatives, household income, micro-enterprise income and the net worth of microenterprise asset among the low-income Kelantanese households. This study provided insights for a comprehensive policy formulation for rural development as it identified program participation issues and gaps faced by the targeted cohort, which if effectively addressed can lead to an increase in participation in development programs, together with household and micro-enterprise income and assets, among the low-income economically vulnerable households in Kelantan, Malaysia. Full article

Tourism has been recognized as an important economic sector, requiring a high degree of involvement from the entrepreneurial sector to diversify tourism products and services to meet increasing demand. Tourism is often considered a tool for economic development and a strategy to improve the livelihoods of rural citizens. Specifically, nature-based tourism, such as wildlife tourism, is growing faster than tourism in general, providing a myriad of opportunities for small-scale entrepreneurial engagement. However, several obstacles exist for these small-scale tourism enterprises, such as a lack of social capital. This study examined a network of wildlife tourism microentrepreneurs for bonding and bridging forms of social capital using a social network analysis approach, where bonding and bridging social capital have their own interpretation. Thirty-seven in-person interviews were conducted with wildlife tourism microentrepreneurs from North Carolina’s Pamlico Sound Region. The study revealed that microentrepreneurs interacted with each other in a bridging network structure. The ability to reciprocate with other members of the network was essential for business success. The results identified four key bridging ties connecting potential sub-groups in the network, connected to each other in a redundant fashion. We concluded that the formation of a bridging network structure was a function of entrepreneurial phenomena that may not promote a highly trusted, well-connected network. The findings and implications are further discussed in the paper. Full article

The malagasy rural environment and the development of agricultural microenterprises are closely linked. For Ambalavao Atsimondrano located in the suburban area of Antananarivo, Madagascar, the horticultural chain appears as a buoyant sector; many rural or urban households are dependent upon it. Despite the reputation of the region in this field and support from different organizations, Rural Microenterprises (RMEs) encounter problems in their development. This study highlights the factors blocking entrepreneurial development including education of horticultural entrepreneurs and their ability to deal with complex situations. The aim of the study was to identify the factors affecting the growth of RMEs. A focus group on 33 small farmers considered as RMEs was conducted taking into account their individual characteristics. A typology and value chain analysis resulted in their classification and in comprehension of their empowerment in management. The results indicated that there were 3 types of entrepreneurs or promoters: the experienced traditional (36%), the educated young (33%), and the professional young (31%). Ishikawa diagrams highlight the problems related to entrepreneurial development in funding and information systems. Our conclusions insist on the necessity of improving communications strategies among microentrepreneurs, guidance for entering the market, and professionalizing the horticultural trade, while emphasizing the importance of cooperation between producers. Full article