GRIN Verlag Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects of Rural Entrepreneurship

Masterarbeit aus dem Jahr 2020 im Fachbereich Politik - Thema: Entwicklungspolitik, Hawassa University, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Currently, there has been a growing interest in small rural business development and entrepreneurship as conduits for accelerating job opportunities - for the youth and for poverty reduction. Despite the policy recognition, the economic performance of the rural entrepreneurs or enterprises is not ground-breaking. This might not be without any factors that daunting the development of the rural entrepreneurs to make their due contribution to the development of their community. Hence, this study was undertaken in order to assess common militating challenges of the development pace and fate of rural entrepreneurship, to trace out the opportunities open to start new businesses and expand the existing ones and to examine the prospects of rural entrepreneurship. In order to achieve the desired objectives the study both qualitative as well as quantitative methods were employed. From the total of 503 entrepreneurs in the study area 125 samples were selected using multistage sampling technique. In line with this, structured questionnaire and unstructured interview were employed as instruments of data collection. The data collected through questionnaire was analyzed quantitatively and to analyze the interview data qualitative approach was applied. After the data analyzed carefully, it was found that, the rural entrepreneurship in the study area conditioned by different business environment factors which are either internal or external to the businesses. Personal traits of business owners and managerial competences and skill related deficiencies are among internal factors affecting their success. Whereas market factors, economic factors, political factors and social factors were among the challenges external to the business setting. It was also found that rural areas are not unfortunate areas to do business even though there were militating chall