Deniz Ucbasaran, Paul Westhead and Mike Wright use a combination of theory and empirical evidence to illustrate why it is so important for researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and investors to distinguish between novice (i.e. first time) entrepreneurs and habitual entrepreneurs. Issues...

Guided by insights from cognitive theories, this article explores the links between entrepreneurs' prior business ownership experience and their opportunity identification behavior. Hypotheses were tested using data from 630 entrepreneurs. Experienced entrepreneurs identified more opportunities...

Policy-makers and practitioners are seeking to promote the development of established firms. This paper suggests they may need to target customized export programmes to the specific situational demands of established 'micro' and 'small' firms. The following broad research question is explored:...

This review explores the emerging debate relating to habitual entrepreneurs. Habitual entrepreneurs (also known as experienced or, latterly, repeat entrepreneurs) are a widespread phenomenon. An entrepreneur's business ownership experience may differ according to the number of private businesses...

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...

Support is being provided to increase the pool of novice entrepreneurs who have no prior business ownership experience. Policymakers and practitioners are, however, considering whether to allocate resources towards portfolio and serial entrepreneurs who have prior business ownership experience....

W ESTHEAD P., U CBASARAN D. and W RIGHT M. (2003) Differences between private firms owned by novice, serial and portfolio entrepreneurs: implications for policy makers and practitioners, Reg. Studies 37 , 187-200. Policy makers can target "hard' (i.e. financial) and "soft' (i.e. technical)...

Profiles of exporting and superior-performing private small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are presented. Multivariate regression evidence suggests that SMEs focusing upon an offensive and market differentiation strategy of product/service protection is associated with the propensity and...