Entrepreneurial Entry, Exit and Re-Entry: The Extent and Nature of Opportunity Identification

This study utilizes a human capital framework to explore whether business ownership experience is associated with the number of business opportunities identified, the number of identified opportunities that are pursued, and the nature of those opportunities. Information from a large representative sample of owners of 631 private independent firms is utilized. Controlling for various dimensions of entrepreneurs' general and specific human capital, we find that experienced (habitual) entrepreneurs identify more business opportunities, pursue more of these opportunities and are associated with more innovative opportunities. We can infer that business ownership experience acts as an important guide for entrepreneurs in processing information in a manner than allows them not only identify more opportunities but potentially more innovative ones too.