Die neuen Selbständigen. Eine empirische Analyse für die Schweiz

Because of its importance to a dynamic development of the economy, over the last few years the formation of new firms has been viewed with rapidly in-creasing interest from the perspectives of practical economic policy at the na-tional, regional and local levels and from the perspectives of private business associations, formal and informal networks. According to statements of the Swiss Federal Office for Vocational Education and Technology (BBT, Bern), there are more than 200 initiatives that aim at encouraging the formation of new firms in Switzerland. However, an accom-panying scientific study of these initiatives is lacking. Serious knowledge gaps exist. The present research project attempts to make a contribution, in a systematic way, to fill some of these gaps. It is based on a systematic study of 20 case studies and of a large survey conducted in 1999 of 745 newly founded firms in Switzerland. Initial results are presented concerning the fol-lowing areas: (1) Portrait of firm founders. (2) Success indicators of firm for-mation. (3) Factors affecting success of firm formation. (4) Relationships be-tween success and success factors. (5) Future prospects. Finally policy rec-ommendations are drawn from our findings.