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the higher proportion of entrepreneurs with above average foreign
orientation (i. e. more than 25% of foreign customers), while this percentage
showed a slightly increasing trend over the past three years. For established
businesses, the decline of the percentage of business without foreign
customers translated into growth in the group with mild foreign orientation,
while the proportion of entrepreneurs with high international orientation
increased from 15.3% to 18.3% in the three-year terms, but decreased slightly
year-on-year.
Senior entrepreneurs
x
Index of senior entrepreneurial inclusivity
in Slovakia compared with
Europe shows a very low level of inclusiveness. In 2013, Slovakia was at the
last place in all European countries and compared to the years 2011 and
2012, the index of senior entrepreneurial inclusivity significantly declined to
the level of 0.21 points.
x
A significant decrease in the ability to identify new opportunities suitable for
business, with relatively stable but below average perception of their own
abilities and fear of failure, had a negative impact on the
entrepreneurial
potential of seniors
, which fell from 6.6% to 1.6%.
x
Perception of social attitudes towards entrepreneurship
in the
group of seniors was not fundamentally different from the overall
population, although the perception of social status of entrepreneurs among
the elderly in the surveyed period declined. Intention to start a business
among the seniors compared to 2011 decreased significantly and is
significantly lower compared to the general population.
x
Given the declining entrepreneurial potential in the senior cohort, the
early-
stage entrepreneurial activity
also decreased and in 2013 reached an
alarming level of 2%. The activity of established senior entrepreneurs
decreased as well, but the decrease was consistent with the decline in the
entrepreneurial activity of overall population.
x
The early-stage senior entrepreneurs
are less innovative
than
entrepreneurs in the general population both in the active and passive
innovation. They are also less focused on foreign markets. Established senior
entrepreneurs have higher level of active innovation, and in passive
innovation, they express the same level as established entrepreneurs in the
general population. Foreign markets orientation of established senior
entrepreneurs is slightly lower compared to established entrepreneurs in the
general population.
x
Business restart
is an inseparable part of entrepreneurial dynamics in
Slovakia. In 2013, almost every third individual who exited from a business
has been again involved in early-stage entrepreneurial activity. These
restarted entrepreneurs accounted for nearly 18 % of the total early-stage
entrepreneurial activity (TEA). In addition, another quarter of individuals