An Overview of the Kauffman Firm Survey: Results from the 2004-2008

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Research Paper

40 Pages Posted: 14 May 2010

See all articles by Alicia Robb

Alicia Robb

University of Colorado at Boulder; Next Wave Impact; Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

E. J. Reedy

University of Chicago - Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship

Janice Ballou

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

David DesRoches

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Frank Potter

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Zhanyun Zhao

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Date Written: May 1, 2010

Abstract

Although entrepreneurial activity is an important part of a capitalist economy, data about U.S. businesses in their early years of operation have been extremely limited. As part of an effort to gather more data on new businesses in the United States, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (the Foundation) sponsored the Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS), a panel study of new businesses founded in 2004 and tracked over their early years of operation. The KFS dataset provides researchers with a unique opportunity to study a panel of new businesses from startup to sustainability, with longitudinal data centering on topics such as how businesses are financed; the products, services, and innovations these businesses possess and develop in their early years of existence; and the characteristics of those who own and operate them.

The current data provide an understanding of how businesses are organized and operate in their first five years of existence (2004 through 2008) and provide some indicators of survival and growth. Other measures describe the characteristics of the panel, such as the extent to which these businesses are involved in innovative activities. A series of tables gives a broad overview of the business and owner characteristics and firm survival over the period, and provide some new information available in the Third Follow-up Survey.

Keywords: Kauffman Firm Survey, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial, Data, Longitudinal

JEL Classification: L26, L16

Suggested Citation

Robb, Alicia and Reedy, E. J. and Ballou, Janice and DesRoches, David and Potter, Frank and Zhao, Zhanyun, An Overview of the Kauffman Firm Survey: Results from the 2004-2008 (May 1, 2010). Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Research Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1606933 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1606933

Alicia Robb (Contact Author)

University of Colorado at Boulder ( email )

Leeds Business School
Boulder, CO 80309
United States

Next Wave Impact ( email )

7455 Park Lane Road
Longmount, CO 80503
United States

Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

1000 Peachtree Street N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30309-4470
United States

E. J. Reedy

University of Chicago - Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship ( email )

5807 S. Woodlawn Ave., Suite 207
Chicago, IL 60637
United States
773-834-0812 (Phone)

Janice Ballou

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. ( email )

P.O. Box 2393
Princeton, NJ 08543-2393
United States

David DesRoches

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. ( email )

P.O. Box 2393
Princeton, NJ 08543-2393
United States
609-275-2366 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.mathematica-mpr.com

Frank Potter

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. ( email )

P.O. Box 2393
Princeton, NJ 08543-2393
United States

Zhanyun Zhao

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. ( email )

P.O. Box 2393
Princeton, NJ 08543-2393
United States

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