Entrepreneurship: a case study of foreigners in Kajaani

ABSTRACT Author: Jeremiah Oludayo Ogundipe Degree Title: Bachelor of Business Administration Keywords: entrepreneurship, foreign entrepreneurship, foreigners, Kajaani, Finland As the foreign population of Finland continues to grow, so does entrepreneurship among foreigners. Several factors contribute to growing foreign entrepreneurship in Finland, such as economic, political, as well as social-cultural issues. Finland is deemed to be on the upper side of entrepreneurial activities, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Finland report (2011). Finland is an innovative country that ranks fourth in the world in terms of global competitiveness. This thesis investigates foreign entrepreneurship in Finland with a focus on Kajaani, the largest town in the region of Kainuu and the 31st largest in Finland with over 30,000 residents. For foreign entrepreneurship in Finland, there are opportunities, as there are challenges, rules, regulations, and procedures. This thesis aims to research the intricacies of entrepreneurship in Finland and Kajaani by foreigners, focusing on issues such as challenges, opportunities, market considerations, government policies, rules and regulations, and other aspects of entrepreneurship in Finland that foreigners must be aware of. The objective is to describe the factors that foreigners must take into account when considering entrepreneurship in Kajaani. The research was conducted using five different viewpoints on entrepreneurship which include motivation/drive to startup a business, challenges, support from the government for foreign entrepreneurs, overcoming the challenges and difficulties faced in a startup such as rules and regulations, market information, and trends, economic factors and others, and advice to encourage other foreign entrepreneurs hoping to start companies in Kajaani. The semi-structured approach was used to collect qualitative data from foreign entrepreneurs/business owners in the food business in Kajaani