Third age self‐employment: a business assistance perspective
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development
ISSN: 1462-6004
Article publication date: 9 May 2013
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the self‐employment experiences of a group of “third age entrepreneurs” from a business assistance perspective. As well as examining what sources of business assistance are utilised, and what influences such decisions, methods of access and perceived impact are also considered – as are the reasons for non‐use.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on data from in‐depth interviews with 14 individuals who entered self‐employment when they were 50 years of age or older.
Findings
The findings from the interviews suggest that there is limited engagement by these older entrepreneurs with the business support infrastructure. Interactions tend to be with a limited number of trusted professionals with whom relationships are already established. There is a lack of demand for initiatives, targeted or otherwise, and a desire to remain independent and self‐reliant.
Research limitations/implications
The paper reports on a small‐scale qualitative study, and therefore the results are not generalisable.
Originality/value
The paper make a contribution to the small, but critical, knowledge base focused on better understanding third age entrepreneurship. Specifically, it is one of few studies to explore the phenomenon from a support infrastructure perspective.
Keywords
Citation
Lewis, K.V. and Walker, E.A. (2013), "Third age self‐employment: a business assistance perspective", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 399-419. https://doi.org/10.1108/14626001311326798
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited