Selected Components of Entrepreneurship Survey

 

I. General Information

 

1.       Many new ventures are built on a pre-existing organizational infrastructure.  Which of the following statements most accurately describes your venture?   (check one only)

 

Independent

Start-Up

Purchase / Takeover of Existing Business

 

Franchise

Start-Up Sponsored by Existing Business

Other

(SPECIFY)

q

q

q

q

_______

 

2.       Using the identifiers below, please enter the code(s) that most accurately reflect the industry (or industries) your venture competes within.           

 

 

Service

 

 

1  Accounting

19  Insurance

 

2  Advertising

20  Investment Banking/Brokerage

 

3  Architecture

21  Investment Management

 

4  Arts

22 Legal Services

 

5  Commercial Banking

23  Management Consulting

 

6  Construction/Real Estate Development

24  Marketing Services

 

7  Diversified Financial Services

25  Multimedia Services

 

8  Education

26  Public Relations

 

9  Electronic Commerce-Retail

27  Radio/TV/Cable/Film

 

10  Electronic Commerce-Other Services

28  Real Estate Finance

 

11  Entertainment/Leisure/Sports

29  Religious Service

 

12  Environmental/Waste Management/Recycling

30  Retail/Wholesale

 

13  Food/Lodging

31  Social Services

 

14  Foundation

32  Telecommunications Services

 

15  Government

33  Transportation Services/Shipping

 

16  Hardware/Software/Systems Services

34  Utilities

 

17  Health Care Services

35  Venture Capital

 

18  Import/Export/International Trade

36  Diversified Service

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manufacturing

 

 

 

 

37  Aerospace

49  High Tech-Multimedia Products

 

38  Agriculture

50  High Tech-Networking

 

39  Apparel/Textiles

51  High Tech-Optics

 

40  Automotive/Transportation Equipment

52  High Tech-Semiconductors

 

41  Biotechnology

53  High Tech-Telecommunications Products

 

42  Chemical

54  High Tech-Other

 

43  Consumer Products

55  Industrial Equipment

 

44  Energy

56  Medical Instruments & Devices

 

45  Extractive Mineral/Natural Resources

57  Pharmaceuticals

 

46  High Tech-Computers/Hardware

58  Printing/Publishing

 

47  High Tech-Computers/Software

59  Rubber/Plastics

 

48  High Tech-Consumer/Electronics

60  Diversified Manufacturing

 

 

3.   We would like to know a little bit about the financing of your venture.  The following table

      distinguishes between "first-stage" financing (funding for your venture at the founding stage)

      and "second-stage" financing (funding for your venture during subsequent development/

      expansion stages).  Please indicate how much financing your venture has received in dollars

      from each source indicated in the left column.

 

Source

First-Stage Financing

Second-Stage Financing

Personal / Family Savings

 

 

Debt Financing

 

 

Equity Financing

 

 

Other Financing                       

(e.g. Asset-Based or Quasi-Equity)

 

 

 

 

 

II.  Creating the Organization

 

4.  What innovations did you hope to deliver when your organization was founded?  

     (check all that apply)

                                                Comments

a. Introduce a new type of product / service

q

 

b. Introduce a new method of production

q

 

c. Introduce a new method of distribution

q

 

d. Introduce a new method of marketing

q

 

e. Develop new supplier linkages

q

 

f. Enter an unexploited market niche

q

 

g. Reorganize the industry

q

 

h. Other type(s) of innovation

q

 

 

 

5.  When did you first accomplish the following activities?

 

 

Never

 

Month/Year

a. Bring together a founding team

q

 

b. Legally establish the company

q

 

c. Prepare a business plan

q

 

d. Obtain first external financing

q

 

e. Hire an employee

q

 

f. Hire an outside CEO

q

 

g. File a patent / trademark application

q

 

h. Announce a product/service

q

 

i. Sell first product/service

q

 

 

 

III.  Environment of the Organization

 

6.  Please rate each of the following items on a scale of 1 to 10, with '1' being the lowest and '10'

      being the highest.  Use 'n/a' to indicate that a question does not apply to your organization.

 

 

At Time of Founding

Factor Loadings

How significant was the competition faced by the organization . . .

-----

 

(a)  In terms of the product or service overlap with existing organizations?

 

1.00

(b)  In terms of attracting a qualified labor pool to the organization?

 

1.06

(c)  In terms of attracting venture / investment capital?

 

0.91

(d)  In terms of acquiring production inputs (materials or technologies)?

 

0.78

(e)  In terms of protection of patents / intellectual property?

 

0.45

How recognizable were the organization's product(s) / service(s) . . .

-----

 

(f)  Among actual or potential customers?

 

1.00

(g)  Among actual or potential competitors?

 

1.26

How relevant are the following kinds of regulation to the organization . . .

-----

 

(h)  Employment / labor law?

 

3.11

(i)  Trade regulation / tariffs?

 

2.28

(j)  Environmental law?

 

2.49

(k)  Securities law?

 

1.29

(l)  Product liability / consumer protection law?

 

3.13

(m)  Other regulations?     _____________________________________________

 

1.00

 

 

7.  For each of the following environmental conditions, please indicate (a) how important they were in the decision to found your venture; and (b) how favorable these conditions were around the time of founding.  Use a 1-10 scale for both questions, with '1' being least important / favorable and '10' being most important / favorable.

 

 

Environmental Condition

Important?

Favorable?

 

'1' – Least Important

'10' – Most Important

'1' – Least Favorable

'10' – Most Favorable

(a)  General economic conditions  (inflation, interest rates, etc.)

 

 

(b)  Availability of credit

 

 

(c)  Availability of investor / risk capital

 

 

(d)  General technological developments

 

 

(e)  Profitability of existing organizations in your industry

 

 

(f)  Educational and logistical infrastructure of local community

 

 

(g)  R&D infrastructure of community (universities / research facilities)

 

 

(h)  Support of local and / or state government

 

 

(i)  Federal tax policy

 

 

(j)  Federal regulatory policy

 

 

(k)  General media coverage of business enterprises

 

 

(l)  Public opinion about entrepreneurship and start-up activities

 

 

(m)  Culture of organizations that had previously employed you

 

 

(n)  Other:  ________________________________________________