Encouraging rural entrepreneurship is commonly seen as crucial to help areas develop. A recent study from the University of Texas at Arlington explores how it can be encouraged in rural Texas.

The authors propose that fostering entrepreneurship represents a viable avenue for driving economic growth in rural regions. In contrast to the factors perceived to fuel entrepreneurial activities in urban areas, such as a well-educated workforce or the presence of patent-producing enterprises, these elements demonstrate less predictive power in spurring new business ventures within rural localities.

Different factors

Instead, rural regions exhibit a greater reliance on socioeconomic factors, such as social capital and the accessibility of child care, which exhibit stronger correlations with the predictive capacity for entrepreneurial endeavors in these areas.

The researchers believe that there is often insufficient acknowledgment of the distinctions between urban and rural entrepreneurship, when the reality is that rural entrepreneurship is a very distinct phenomenon.

For instance, things like broadband access and ease of creating patents are often cited as key factors in new business creation, but the researchers found that for rural entrepreneurs factors such as local banking were more important.

“If someone wanting to start a business had more assurance they’d be approved for a loan, they might be more likely to start a rural business,” they explain. “Those first loans often depend on the kind of trust that small towns have in spades.”

The researchers hope that their work will help to inform policy making and highlight the need for more specific interventions if rural entrepreneurship is to be encouraged.

“This study offers valuable guidance to policymakers grappling with complex economic challenges,” they conclude. “The findings provide an initial roadmap to inform evidence-based decision-making and facilitate targeted interventions that promote entrepreneurial activity and foster vibrant rural economies.”