Lunch Session on the logic of survival entrepreneurs

This afternoon Dr.Peter Knorringa of ISS (The Hague) was invited to discuss the distinction between growth oriented entrepreneurs and survival oriented entrepreneurs.
In efforts of entrepreneurial trainings, small business development and value chain development quite often the distinction between the two categories is not made, or at least not explicitly. Peter Knorringa argues that by pushing survival entrepreneurs into specialisation, Business Development Service providers may actually increase the risks these survivalists are exposed to, instead of reducing risks, which is often what they are looking for.

In terms of policy implications that came out of the discussion, I want to mention a few:

- In microfinance survivalists and growth oriented entrepreneurs are already provided with differing services, the Business Development sector may learn from this.
- Keeping an eye on the inclusion or exclusion of the poorer segments is not yet a strong point of M&E systems of economic interventions. Can we improve on that?

Please find the presentation here:ISS