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Synonyms

Angels investors; Craft trade; Craftsmanship; Cyber entrepreneurship; Developing countries; Entrepreneur; Female entrepreneur; Incubators; National culture; Networks; Proximity; Self entrepreneurship; Services; Small business; Small business firms; Smaller firms; Social entrepreneurship; Social responsibility; SOHO; Start-up

The word “microfirm” is both a recent neologism and a generic concept. It refers to the so-called smallest business firms, that is, those tiny size firms theoretically governed (managed and/or owned) by one person. However, the world of microfirms reveals itself to be highly heterogeneous. As well as the small shops or stalls in African markets, it comprises also highly skilled “SOHOs” (small organization, home office) working at a worldwide level!

In spite of the fact that microfirms are undoubtedly the most numerous of business entities in the world, they are mostly ignored by economic theories. The “entrepreneurship wave,” since the last quarter of the...

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Correspondence to Michel Marchesnay .

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Marchesnay, M. (2013). Microfirms. In: Carayannis, E.G. (eds) Encyclopedia of Creativity, Invention, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3858-8_233

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3858-8_233

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