Country of origin as a source of business opportunities Online publication date: Fri, 11-May-2007
by Marco Van Gelderen
International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business (IJESB), Vol. 4, No. 4, 2007
Abstract: This paper presents an idea-generation tool that aims to help immigrants to recognise opportunities for self-employment. The tool is based on the literatures on opportunity-recognition and on immigrant entrepreneurship. Research has shown that the ideas for possible business opportunities that people generate depend to a large extent on prior knowledge. For immigrants, the country of origin is a vital source of opportunities, since much of their prior knowledge pertains to their home country. In this research, an attempt is made to systematically categorise opportunities deriving from the country of origin. Then, a second step is taken by mapping all categories of opportunities on a human figure (thus literally creating a model). The areas of the body represent opportunity categories, from the feet (import-export opportunities) to the top of the head (styles of haircutting pertaining to country of origin). As a result, a visual, easy-to-understand, highly accessible instrument is created.
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