Educational systems and attitudes towards risk-taking and individualism are a major influence in spurring entrepreneurship. However, governments also play a role in fostering start-ups. They can ease regulatory burdens, stimulate venture capital supply, remove fiscal biases, strengthen secondary stock markets, and reform bankruptcy rules. Governments can also nurture small enterprises to help them survive. Disseminating information and technology, encouraging training and organisational change as well as assisting in globalisation efforts can help address barriers to small-firm development.
Entrepreneurs are increasingly women.
Female start-up rates are outpacing the national average in several OECD countries. Women entrepreneurs are creating new business niches, but continue to face special barriers to enterprise creation and development. Owing to the pace of globalisation, industrial structures are also changing at the international level. Declining computing, communications and transport costs coupled with regulatory reform and trade and investment liberalisation have prompted firms to adopt global strategies. But their international activities now extend far beyond traditional forms of investment and trade.