Réseau Entreprendre has released the results of a survey on factors that can curb the ambitions of entrepreneurs in France. Observatoire Réseau Entreprendre’s first survey, of 1552 leaders of small and medium-sized businesses, showed these business leaders’ concerns, as well as their perspectives on the obstacles they face and their drivers of growth. It also shows the connection between business growth and governance.
- 3 out of 4 entrepreneurs are cautious about growth
Réseau Entreprendre’s survey asked entrepreneurs for their perspective on business growth. This first finding shows that 75% des entrepreneurs take a cautious approach to the speed of business growth.
– 52% considered themselves moderate-growth entrepreneurs, believing that the growth rate has a limit, which, if exceeded, could put the business at risk.
– 23% of business leaders surveyed didn’t define themselves as growth entrepreneurs at all, and did not consider it to be part of the success criteria for their business.
– Only ¼ of the entrepreneurs surveyed (25%) stated that they have no limit in this area.
- The main growth factor : The business leader
Changing an entrepreneur’s mindset regarding business growth is already a step towards their business’s actual growth. This is shown by the survey’s data : 40% of the entrepreneurs in the panel showed an annual growth rate of over 10%. More than half of these (52%) stated that they did not have any limits in terms of growth. However, among entrepreneurs with a growth rate under 10%, the majority (61%) took a more cautious stance on growth. Frédérique Jeske, CEO of Réseau Entreprendre, commented on this finding : “Though it may seem obvious, growth does indeed start with the business leader. Mentorship can help entrepreneurs work on changing their mindset, in order to become more confident and dream bigger.” “One fear that entrepreneurs often express during our interviews, also echoed by this survey, is the fear that after significant growth, they could lose control of their business.”
