This study focuses on the problems encountered by rural entrepreneurs in starting successful new businesses. More than 1100 telephone interviews, representing scientific samples of start-up entrepreneurs in North Dakota, Maine, Arkansas, and Michigan provide data on what kinds of problems are encountered and who encountered them. Results show that characteristics of entrepreneurs and their firms did not explain problems in starting up. The results suggest that it will not be easy to target public or private technical assistance to particular groups, because their problems are not as unique as might be implied in the literature on entrepreneurship.
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