The Life Cycle of Entrepreneurial Ventures discusses topical issues in entrepreneurship organized around the various stages of venture creation, development and performance. The book is arranged in several parts, dealing with the pre-start stage, followed by venture creation, financing ventures, venture development, and venture performance. Each part contains several chapters written by experts in the relevant field. Like its predecessors, there are contributions from several disciplines, including economics, strategy, business, industrial organization, economic geography, finance and sociology. The multi-disciplinary flavor of the book is complemented by its international evidence base, featuring results from a range of different countries. The volume will be essential reading for everyone interested in entrepreneurship because:

"The Life Cycle of Entrepreneurial Ventures discusses topical issues in entrepreneurship organized around the various stages of venture creation, development and performance. The book is arranged in several parts, dealing with the pre-start stage, followed by venture creation, financing ventures, venture development, and venture performance. Each part contains several chapters written by experts in the relevant field. Like its predecessors, there are contributions from several disciplines, including economics, strategy, business, industrial organization, economic geography, finance and sociology. The multi-disciplinary flavor of the book is complemented by its international evidence base, featuring results from a range of different countries. The volume will be essential reading for everyone interested in entrepreneurship. TOC:Introduction.- Nascent Entrepreneurs.- New Venture Strategies: Transforming Caterpillars into Butterflies.- Entrepreneurship Education - A Compendium of Related Issues.- Immigration, Entrepreneurship and the Venture Start-up Process.- Location and New Venture Creation.- On Factors Promoting and Hindering Entry and Exit.- Debt Finance and Credit Constraints on SMEs.- Public Policy, Start-up Entrepreneurship, and the Market for Venture Capital.- Informal Sources of Venture Finance.- Microfinance and Poor Entrepreneurs.- Entrepreneurs as Producers.- What do we know about Small Firm Growth?.- Non-profit Social Entrepreneurship.- Entrepreneurship among Disadvantaged Groups: Women, Minorities and the Less Educated.- Early Stage Survival and Growth.- Venture Performance and Venture Inputs: The Role of Human and Financial Capital.- Harvesting in High Growth Firms."

Beginnings.- Nascent Entrepreneurs.- New Venture Strategies: Transforming Caterpillars into Butterflies.- Aspects of Entry and New Venture Creation.- Entrepreneurship Education-A Compendium of Related Issues.- Immigration, Entrepreneurship and the Venture Start-up Process.- Location and New Venture Creation.- On Factors Promoting and Hindering Entry and Exit.- Financing Ventures.- Debt Finance and Credit Constraints on SMEs.- Public Policy, Start-up Entrepreneurship and the Market for Venture Capital.- Informal Sources of Venture Finance.- Microfinance and Poor Entrepreneurs.- Venture Development I: Private Sector Issues.- Entrepreneurs as Producers.- What Do We Know About Small Firm Growth?.- Venture Development II: Social Issues.- Nonprofit Social Entrepreneurship.- Entrepreneurship among Disadvantaged Groups: Women, Minorities and the Less Educated.- Venture Performance and Harvesting.- Early Stage Survival and Growth.- Venture Performance and Venture Inputs: The Role of Human and Financial Capital.- Harvesting in High Growth Firms.