Student entrepreneurship in Sweden : Motivation & Challenges

Sammanfattning: Entrepreneurship today is an attractive option for future graduates due to various perks and benefits. However, there are also challenges and disadvantages that come with being an entrepreneur. This study is aimed at investigating the motivating factors and challenges that student entrepreneurs are facing when starting their own business in Sweden. For this study, a qualitative approach is chosen, and semi-structured interviews are used on six student entrepreneurs that live in Sweden. The results are analyzed by using thematic analysis and the study concluded that student entrepreneurs are motivated by the desire of independence, flexible schedules, following family traditions or parental self-employment, the desire to turn their hobby into a money-making enterprise, creativity, the fear of unemployment, social status, motivating others, personal skills and entrepreneurial capabilities. Moreover, the study also discovered three new motivational factors such as support from their previous employer, influence from friends and other people on the internet and the desire to experience new and exciting things. When it comes to challenges, student entrepreneurs are facing difficulties such as lack of resources, being a student while running a business, lack of networks, lack of knowledge, lack of entrepreneurial and administrative skills, lack of support from family/ business partner, lack of legal/formal help, negative personality traits and dealing with tax systems. Furthermore, two new challenges are also identified in the study that are the lack of credibility and the cultural differences and language barriers.