We test a new model where the entrepreneurial decision is described as a process of successive engagement levels, i.e., as an entrepreneurial ladder. Five levels are distinguished using nearly 12,000 observations from the 2004 “Flash Eurobarometer survey on Entrepreneurship” covering the 25...

The relationship betwwen outcome status and encountered problems in the business start-up process is investigated. Contrary to expectations, we find that starter do not substantially differ from quitters in the number and type of problems encountered, and that problems encountered generally do...