Migrant Entrepreneurs in Switzerland: Not Very Different from Native Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Switzerland is a country with a high share of people with a migrant background in the population; however, there is a lower share of migrant entrepreneurs compared to native entrepreneurs in most countries. This raises the question of who the migrant entrepreneurs in Switzerland are and what their motivations and challenges are. This chapter is based on data from the Federal Statistical Office as well as a written survey of new founders who started their company between 2014 and 2019. Sixty-three entrepreneurs with a migrant background were surveyed among the total sample. The results show that the differences between native and migrant entrepreneurs are small to non-existent. The motivation and challenges are the same, only in getting support the migrant entrepreneurs rely more on external help than the native entrepreneurs. Also, migrants more often start their business alone. The research contributes to the existing literature by confirming the findings of other countries that migrant entrepreneurs are very similar to native entrepreneurs and have the same daily challenges. This knowledge can help providers of entrepreneurship support to shape their offerings and attract native as well as migrant entrepreneurs to the same offerings, as they are all entrepreneurs first.