Entrepreneurship, Private, and Public

Entrepreneurship, Private and Public is a unique study that explores the regional structure of small manufacturers, the nature of their operations, and their relationship to larger industry and public agencies. It examines the role of entrepreneurship in modern society through a survey of small businesses and the economic development agencies that help them in upstate New York. Previous research on this topic has not addressed the impact of the public agencies that are run by and for entrepreneurs on small manufacturers. The results of this study challenge existing theories on small businesses, finding that they engage in a complex web of economic relationships with larger industry. Rather than being replaced, small manufacturers often fill specialized niches that serve larger industry. In this sense, small businesses are essential to understanding larger economic structures. Those with interests in small business development, rural sociology and agricultural economy will find this volume enlightening.