Digital futures of small businesses and entrepreneurial opportunity

Abstract

This introduction to the Special Issue discusses the status quo of the literature on digital entrepreneurship and digital economy highlighting the neglect of a significant and growing segment of the small business sector whose futures have remained under-researched: self-employed workers and freelancers who run one-person or micro-businesses and home-based businesses that operate largely or exclusively online. Their digital futures and opportunities cannot be understood in simple dichotomies such as ‘necessity’ versus ‘opportunity’ or ‘use’ versus ‘non-use’ of digital technologies. Instead, it is suggested to consider the spatial and social contexts of these more ‘ordinary’ or ‘unexceptional’ businesses. Attention is drawn to networks and social capital and their spatial embeddedness in complementing human capital.Concepts of the second digital divide, digital generations, entrepreneurial bricolage and spatial proximity and city ecosystems are discussed to make suggestions about the possible digital futures of small businesses and entrepreneurial opportunity.