Entrepreneurship has emerged as a dominant economic development strategy. Therefore, the study of business creation, also known as entrepreneurship, has become extremely important for policy makers. Previous research demonstrates a number of traits with successful entrepreneurs. However, an understanding of emerging entrepreneurs, also known as nascent entrepreneurs, is another matter.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the extent to which perceptions of participants attending a seminar on entrepreneurship change once they attended the seminar. An assessment was made of those participants attending the seminar to determine if their desirability and intention toward starting a business changed once additional information about starting a business was presented. Ajzen's Planned Behavior Model and Peterman and Kennedy's Conceptual Model provided the foundation for the current research study.
A one-group, pre-test - post-test design was utilized to address study research questions. Three instruments were used to collect data. A pre-test was administered to participants attending the "starting a business" pre-counseling seminar immediately before the seminar took place. At the conclusion of the seminar, a post-test was administered to participants attending the seminar. A survey was also administered to instructors of the pre-counseling seminar immediately before the seminars took place.
The study examined 310 nascent entrepreneurs who were participants in the pre-counseling seminars on how to start a business. This study took place at selected Illinois Small Business Development Centers (SBDC's) from January to April 2006. Findings indicated no statistical significance in a change of intent by subjects in starting a business after attending the pre-counseling seminar. While results from this study found no statistical significance in a change of intent , there was a change in desirability .
Three of eight questions related to desirability of starting a business were found to be statistically significant. Subjects in this study had a greater desire to start a business after attending the pre-counseling seminar. Subjects' age and gender demonstrated statistical significance with respect to perceptions.
While the study indicates desirability has been elevated as a result of the seminar, follow-up activity is needed by the SBDC to elevate intentions of nascent entrepreneurs in starting a business.