Earlier this week I saw an interesting post by Scott Shane over at Small Business Trends. In it, he pointed out an interesting trend based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the data, the number of incorporated self-employed individuals was 4 percent lower in September of this year than it was in June 2009.
While the actual number of incorporated self-employed (ie those who work for themselves in corporate entities) represents a relatively small percentage of entrepreneurial activity and an even smaller part of the American workforce (unincorporated self employed make up about 6 percent of the labor force versus incorporated self employed at only 3.5 percent), the stagnant growth seems puzzling.
After all, several economic indicators and respected reports, such as the Small Business Economic Trends report conducted by the NFIB, all point to an improving, expanding economy. Given that the incorporated self employed tend to earn twice as much as the unincorporated, why aren’t more aspiring entrepreneurs being encouraged by the rising sales at existing businesses to start their own ventures?
I think there are several possible explanations:
- There is less financing available to get these start up businesses up and running. Let’s not forget that small businesses and start ups are still dealing with an extreme credit crunch. For most aspiring entrepreneurs, there are only two main options: rely on personal assets (which have also taken a hit due to the crash in the housing market, rock bottom interest rates, and stagnant wages), or turn to more expensive (and thus more risky) alternative lenders.
- Fewer personal assets or access to outside financing means that starting up a business these days is a lot more risky than it was prior to the Recession when cash was flowing more freely. Since incorporated self-employed tend to be older and have a family, many may postpone starting a business or avoid working on it in a full time capacity because a business failure could affect their financial stability.
- Even for all the rosy indicators and reports, the truth is that the economic recovery has been very uneven. Consumer demand is still very weak in important areas such as retail, and that’s likely due to the fact that wages and employment have not recovered anywhere close to their pre-recession levels even as taxes for small business owners and the middle class have gone up.
So, what do you think? Have you or people you know been considering starting your own business, but have held back due to the reasons mentioned above?
Image Credit: Small Business Trends