| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the subject guidance of entrepreneurs under the auspices of the public sector. Guidance of entrepreneurs is one of the governments funding agencies for value creation in Norway. With public support provided, the need to consider whether the public funds are used as they are intended, and whether the measures have an effect, occurs. The study is commissioned by Steinkjer Næringsselskap AS. They wished to get an evaluation of their guidance of entrepreneurs to detect effects or lack of effects, in order to improve their work in the future. The evaluation is based on both a quantitative and a qualitative research strategy. First hand data is collected through telephone interviews and secondary data are derived from Brønnøysundregisteret and Steinkjer Næringsselskap AS. Through analysis and discussion the empirical data is linked to the theoretical framework. The analysis results show that yes, purely statistical, businesses receiving guidance from Steinkjer Næringsselskap AS has a higher survival rate after four years than companies that have not received their guidance. The effect is measured to 10.98%. The results are nuanced by using control variables for the entrepreneurs education, industry experience, experience with starting business and access to capital resources. Furthermore, with a retrospective approach, I investigated why the survival rate was higher amongst the firms that received guidance from Steinkjer Næringsselskap AS. Based on the collected data, it is difficult to give a clear answer to why this is. However, I stress the importance of clarifying Steinkjer Næringsselskap AS and the entrepreneurs’ roles and expectations, before the guidance of entrepreneurs occurs. I also highlight that the findings suggest that the guidance of entrepreneurs helped to cultivate the entrepreneurs’ idea, create a schedule, get an understanding of what it means to start a business and fully guide entrepreneurs onto a path that leads to a good plan. This suggests that Steinkjer Næringsselskap AS's guidance of entrepreneur ensures better planning in the initial phase, and strengthen a newly founded business’ chance of surviving for at least four years. | nb_NO |
