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Entrepreneurship in France (Policy Briefs 296 and 297 - October 2012)

Entrepreneurship in France (Policy Briefs 296 and 297 - October 2012)

25/10/12

 

By publishing two analytical notes on entrepreneurship in France, the Strategic Analysis Centre has sought to better understand the difficulties faced by French entrepreneurs to maintain and grow their business by conducting a detailed analysis of the profiles of entrepreneurs regarding their exposure and their attitudes to risk.

  • Entrepreneurship in France
    Part 1: Myths and realities in international comparison

Despite a real dynamism of entrepreneurship, France is often described as a country with a weak entrepreneurial culture. This image of France must be qualified. Indeed, recent qualitative survey analysis can show that the French show a strong desire to undertake entrepreneurial potential and progress in France.

Portrait of France in terms of culture and entrepreneurial activity is determined from a comparison with three countries: the United States, often presented as a model of entrepreneurial society and Germany and the United Kingdom, which are considered the most dynamic European economies.

The analysis first assessed the entrepreneurial potential of the savings based on the combination of a desire to engage and perceived feasibility of the proposed business creation.

On this point, the differences between France and its European partners are less pronounced, while the Americans are clearly distinguished by a strong confidence in their ability to undertake. The study also assesses engagement in entrepreneurship at every stage of the process of creating a business. In this regard, and even that entrepreneurial intentions are higher than its partners, France is distinguished by a lower survival of newly established firms.

Summary

  • The desire to undertake is present in France
  • Entrepreneurial potential progress in France
  • A gap between intentions and entrepreneurial activity in France
  • Authors: Estelle Dhont-Peltrault and Fabienne Llense, Economics Department Finance.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial culture, self-employed.


  • Entrepreneurship in France
    Part 2: How to better support the risk-taking entrepreneurs?

Newly established enterprises are a source of value creation even more important to the society they are able to grow, which requires taking risks. Indeed, for an entrepreneur, making the choice of development (through investment, innovation, recruitment) rather than maintaining the status quo, a priori safer involves engaging resources for a future growth but uncertain value.

The ability of a designer to take these risks depends on the situation in which he finds himself when he created his company. Thus, taking into account such variables as the previous status, qualifications and motivations for the creation of the company allows to study the risk exposure and the ability to grow four profiles of designers. This study, based on data from INSEE followed a cohort of individuals who started their business in 2006, shows that the creators starting an ambitious project in a familiar environment are not always the most active in terms development of their entreprise.Au contrary, some designers adopt dynamic behavior while they are at high risk.

Governments can help streamline the creative risk-taking by encouraging more prudent to develop their business ("menus" reimbursable contracts) and reducing the risk exposure of the most dynamic (accounting requirements) .

Summary

  • Introduction
  • Profiles of entrepreneurs
  • Terms of exposure to risk creators
  • Creative behavior towards risk
  • Cash flow problems: a synthesis of effective risk management and their creators
  • ANNEXES
  • Authors: Estelle Dhont-Peltrault and Fabienne Llense, Economics Department Finance.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, risk, corporate finance, taxation, public subsidies.

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