The entrepreneurial economic wave that is sweeping around the globe is even getting our neighbors to the north feeling a little adventuresome.
A new study finds that one in eight Canadians (13%) plan to start a business in the next five years, and of those over a quarter plan to do so within the next twelve months. And many of these aspiring entrepreneurs are not among the usual suspects of experienced managers looking for a path to riches. Just as we see in other economies, entrepreneurship is fast becoming a career path for people ranging from the economically disadvantaged looking for true independence and empowerment to blue collar workers no longer willing to put their livelihoods in the hands of large corporations and unions.
From Ipsos News Center:
Notably, it appears that the past experiences of would-be entrepreneurs differ slightly from those who are already running their own businesses. For example, while nearly one quarter (21%) of existing entrepreneurs claim to have come from an executive or managerial role prior to starting their own business, just 15% of aspiring entrepreneurs state that they come from that same background. Further, while one in eleven (9%) existing entrepreneurs cite previous experience in blue collar or labourer work, a larger proportion (13%) of aspiring entrepreneurs are emerging from blue-collar backgrounds. In fact, with just 15% of aspiring entrepreneurs coming from a managerial background, this suggests that most Canadians believe that this type of experience is not necessary in order to be able to manage one's own business.
Thanks to Ben Cunningham for passing this study along.
