Those with access to capital are three times more likely to plan on starting a business than those without access and that has a big affect on startup plans among would-be entrepreneurs across the globe, according to a new global Gallup poll.
Entrepreneurial intent varied across the 98 countries surveyed, although people in Sub-Saharan Africa showed the greatest intent to start a business in the next 12 months, at 20 percent. The European Union ranked lowest, with only 3 percent intending to start a business, while North America wasn't far off at 7 percent.
Understandably, access to capital makes people more likely to want to start businesses, but the survey found that it is more important to have money in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Europe in order to start a business. Those in North America do not feel as confined when it comes to capital, with only a 2 percent difference between those that have access to funds and those that do not. While financial constraints apply to both emerging and developed economies, those wishing to start a business in an emerging economy often have less access to credit, and use more personal funds.
Access to capital makes a more significant difference among genders. Women were four times more likely to want to start a business when they had access to capital (16 percent compared to 4 percent), while men were three times more likely (20 percent compared to 7 percent) to do so. With only 4 percent of women pursuing a business without having funds available, the poll highlights the experiential constraints that women often face when approaching lenders, who are less likely to grant credit to female entrepreneurs with little to no business training or background. Self-confidence plays a large role, as women who have a lack of prior business experience are less likely to seek financing, and therefore are less likely to receive it.