The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Report was released last week with some surprising results for Irish entrepreneurship.
The report, which was supported by Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Enterprise Ireland, the European Social Fund and the Department of Justice and Equality, shows that in 2011 the level of entrepreneurial activity in Ireland rose and there were approximately 2,200 businesses opened each month, a significant increase on the previous year. There was also a 31% increase in individuals being motivated to open new businesses through necessity (for example, due to redundancy) which puts Ireland as higher than the EU average.
Other GEM Report Findings
Women are still comparatively less entrepreneurial than men in Ireland, with men being 2.5 times more likely to become an early stage entrepreneur.
One in five early stage entrepreneurs in Ireland (20%) expect to have significant jobs growth (at least twenty jobs) within five years. This is a relatively high proportion and is higher than the averages across the OECD and EU.
More than one in ten of early stage Irish entrepreneurs are in medium or high technology sectors.
There is a high level of respect and status for successful entrepreneurs in Ireland, higher than that of many other countries
These are interesting insights when we look at how Ireland is positioned compared to the rest of the EU. They are also promising statistics for prospective franchisees who may be planning to open their own franchise business in 2012. You can download and read the full report here.