ABSTRACT
This chapter initially outlines the available, though limited, literature on the participation of older people in entrepreneurial activity. The decision to enter self-employment is often the result of a mix of push and pull factors and later life entrepreneurship is no exception. The chapter highlights the need for scrutiny of businesses that are begun when the entrepreneur is older. People are interested, therefore, in novice elder entrepreneurs and serial entrepreneurs who have started a further business when in the older age group. The chapter discusses some broad, and more individual-specific influences, that might drive, encourage, or attract people into self-employment. As R. McKay argues in respect of women, there is a need to recognize the diverse and heterogeneous nature of entrepreneurs and the groups they belong to, and to design and carry out research accordingly. The chapter emphasizes the need for more research on elder entrepreneurship, signalling some directions for future investigation in this area.
