The challenge to obtain early-stage funding for small ventures is especially pronounced in Africa, where traditional funding sources are available only to a small extent. This lack, combined with the diffusion of mobile phones and internet access, enabled the unprecedented rise of mobile payments on a personal level in Africa in recent years. On a commercial level, ICT-enabled crowdfunding is given the potential to mitigate the early-stage funding gap for African entrepreneurs. Using exploratory research, the dissertation provides initial empirical evidence on crowdfunding in Sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, it is shown that African entrepreneurs across the continent can raise substantial amounts of money by tapping into the global funding community. Moreover, empirical evidence is provided, that the basic economic constructs, institutions and infrastructure appear to play a decisive role for African crowdfunding and that their effect size depends on the respective institutional setting.
Founding a company
(2011)
The article on legal forms in Switzerland provides an overview on important legal aspects corporations and entrepreneurs need to understand to make informed decisions about which legal form to embark on. It starts with an introduction into the general laws and regulations with regard to setting up and running a business and provides an overview on possible legal forms. It uses a structured analysis framework to analyze seven relevant legal forms: the sole proprietorship (Einzelfirma), the ordinary partnership (Einfache Gesellschaft), the General partnership (Kollektivgesellschaft), the partnership limited by shares (Kommanditgesellschaft), the silent partnership (Stille Gesellschaft), the corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) and the limited liability company (GmbH). The article ends with a discussions and evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of the different legal forms and provides exemplary recommendations depending on the individual case of the founders.