The existential threat to small businesses, based on their crucial role in the economy, is behind the plethora of scholarly studies in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining the 15 contributions of the special issue on the “Economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurship and small businesses,” the paper comprises four parts: a systematic review of the literature on the effect on entrepreneurship and small businesses; a discussion of four literature strands based on this review; an overview of the contributions in this special issue; and some ideas for post-pandemic economic research.
This paper presents an empirical examination of which start-up signals will small investors to commit financial resources in an equity crowdfunding context. We examine the impact of firms' financial roadmaps (e.g., preplanned exit strategies such as IPOs or acquisitions), external certification (awards, government grants and patents), internal governance (such as board structure), and risk factors (such as amount of equity offered and the presence of disclaimers) on fundraising success. Our data highlight the importance of financial roadmaps and risk factors, as well as internal governance, for successful equity crowdfunding. External certification, by contrast, has little or no impact on success. We also discuss the implications for successful policy design. Signaling in Equity CrowdfundingABSTRACT This paper presents an empirical examination of which start-up signals induce small investors to commit financial resources in an equity crowdfunding context. We examine the impact of firms' financial roadmaps (e.g., preplanned exit strategies such as IPOs or acquisitions), external certification (awards, government grants and patents), internal governance (such as board structure), and risk factors (such as amount of equity offered and the presence of disclaimers) on fundraising success. Our data highlight the importance of financial roadmaps and risk factors, as well as internal governance, for successful equity crowdfunding. External certification, by contrast, has little or no impact on success. We also discuss the implications for successful policy design. JEL Classification: G21, G24, L26Keywords: Entrepreneurial Finance, (Equity) Crowdfunding, Micro Lending, Internet, Given the recent passage of the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act in the U.S., which will permit equity crowdfunding by early 2013, this number is likely to increase sharply. Small investors, who are often the primary support of start-ups, do not usually have the capability to extensively research and assess potential investments. In order to successfully raise money via an equity crowdfunding platform, therefore, start-ups need to find ways to clearly signal their value to small investors.Two contrasting London-based crowdfunding cases illustrate the issues discussed further here. In December 2011, The Rushmore Group, a start-up that now operates three bars in London, sold 10% of its equity for £1,000,000 to 143 small investors through Crowdcube.The aspiring entrepreneurs of The Rushmore Group accomplished this feat in a little over two weeks -a remarkable success story.A strikingly different outcome, however, is illustrated by our second example. In early April 2012, another owner and operator of a London bar, Meatballs, offered a 25% equity 2 stake for £300,000 on Crowdcube. Two months after the start of the offering, they had raised only £4,750.The Rushmore Group and Meatballs perform essentially the same service in the same city.Both start-ups were presented in the same fashion and on the same online platform. Why, then, di...
but also creating productive entrepreneurship and resilient location-specific entrepreneurial ecosystems. The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for small businesses that also brings new market opportunities. The papers in this special issue of Small Business Economics Journal aim to shed light on the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by looking at the macro-and microeconomic effects on entrepreneurship and small businesses as well as the role of financial support policies and well-being in both developed and developing countries. Future research should focus on the role of digitization and financial mechanisms supporting small businesses during crises.
This article explores the effects of changes in the initial venture team on a firm's failure risk by considering firm age. The results show that founder exits are especially critical for firm survival in the first years of a firm's existence, whereas the entry of a new team member is more beneficial in later years. Further, an investigation of multiple founder exits shows that the time that elapses between two exits has a U-shaped relationship with a firm's hazard risk. Discussing these findings in terms of imprinting and the liability of newness, we contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of venture team dynamics and firm survival.
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