Small Business Franchise | Own a Small Business Franchise

The tendency to be an entrepreneur is heritable. (Heritability is the proportion of difference between individuals explained by genetic factors.) We found these heritabilities were substantive regardless of what indications of entrepreneurship we measured: owning or operating a business, the number of businesses owned and operated, starting a business, the number of businesses started, having engaged in a start-up effort, the number of start-up efforts, being self-employed, or the number of years spent self-employed. The heritabilities can be seen in analysis of multiple databases and can be seen in the research of other scholars as well as our own.

The tendency to identify new business opportunities is also heritable. Plus, the tendency to identify business opportunities and the tendency to start new businesses have a common genetic source. This pattern suggests that genetic factors might influence the odds of people becoming entrepreneurs by affecting their ability to identify new business opportunities.

Self-employment income is heritable, which suggests genetics affects not just the tendency to engage in entrepreneurship but also the ability to perform it.

The tendency to be an entrepreneur and personality traits of extraversion, openness to experience, and sensation-seeking have a common genetic component, as does the recognition of business opportunities and the personality trait of openness to experience. These patterns suggest that our genes might affect our tendency to be entrepreneurs by influencing the types of personalities that we develop.

For the past year, we have been conducting a genome-wide association study to identify specific genes that might be associated with the tendency to be an entrepreneur. We have some preliminary results, which we are checking for robustness. When we have results that have passed peer review, I’ll write another post outlining what they are.

But, based on the work we’ve done so far, I think it’s safe to say that there is some literal truth to Jennifer’s figurative phrase.

Scott A. Shane is a professor of entrepreneurial studies at Case Western.

America's Best Franchises

OXI FRESH Carpet Cleaning

U-Turn Vending Business

Liberty Tax Franchise Information

Vendstar Vending Machine Business for Sale

Wireless Zone

Franchise Alliance, Inc.

Energy Automation Systems Business Opportunity

Franchise Categories

The Art of Running a Small Business Franchise

Franchise Opportunities

Franchise Briefs