Behaviors of Pre-Venture Entrepreneurs and Perceptions of Their Financial Needs

Some studies have examined different barriers faced by entrepreneurs in starting their firms. For example, lack of business education, training, or managerial experience may have an impact on the firm’s success. This study sought to determine whether there were any differences in the assistance and training needs between male and female pre-venture entrepreneurs as well as between Hispanic and Anglo pre-venture entrepreneurs. The training needs focused on the areas of finance and accounting. A sample of 133 clients of a regional Small Business Development Center (SBDC) was used to make this comparison. The results indicated differences between males and females in most cases and especially between Hispanic females and Hispanic males. The Hispanic males felt they needed less assistance in the areas of finance and accounting than the Hispanic females did. However, the SBDC consultants felt that both the Anglo and Hispanic females needed less assistance in those areas than the Anglo and Hispanic males needed.