Title: Growth, what growth? It is not on the menu: subsistence entrepreneurship among Zimbabwean entrepreneurs - a country perspective

Authors: Wilton Wilton

Addresses: UUNZ Auckland, P.O. Box 9081, New Market, Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract: Entrepreneurship is an important activity for the entrepreneur, country and employee, as it creates employment for the employee and wealth for both entrepreneur and state. But governments benefit little from informal and small companies that do not pay taxes. Hence, the huge desires for governments like Zimbabwe to see informal and small enterprises grow to the level where they pay taxes. On the other hand, entrepreneurs start entrepreneurial ventures for different reasons including creating a job for one's relatives and self, to supplement one's income, having a desire to achieve bigger things, as a last resort in terms of survival, or as a way to while away time whilst waiting for secure salaried employment. As a result of these differences, entrepreneurs have differing approaches to the future of their enterprises. Whilst some would be committed to their enterprises' current operations and future growth, for others growth is not on the menu, as they are happy to operate on a subsistence level for the entire life of the enterprise.

Keywords: economic growth; informal sectors; determinants; Zimbabwe; subsistence entrepreneurship; Zimbabwean entrepreneurs; employees; wealth creation; taxes; taxation; central government; tax; entrepreneurial ventures; job creation; relatives; families; family members; income supplements; supplementary incomes; survival; secure employment; salaried employment; commitment; business enterprises; current operations; future growth; subsistence levels; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; entrepreneurs; entrepreneurship; developing nations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2012.048650

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2012 Vol.17 No.1, pp.44 - 56

Published online: 16 Aug 2014 *

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