The influence of business incubators on the post-incubation success of small businesses

Abstract

This article explored influences that business incubators have on the success of small businesses after being incubated. The focus was on business incubators in Johannesburg, South Africa. An exploratory, qualitative method was employed. The findings revealed that networks and the effective management of stakeholders, are a central factor in the success of business incubators. Other factors included access to funding; having facilitators on the programme who are themselves entrepreneurs; and the quality of the incubator programme management. These emerged as key factors leading to the success of small business start-ups and hence the success of the business incubators. Given the low economic growth rate and high unemployment numbers in South Africa, increased support of business incubators should be a focus of both government and corporate South Africa to ensure the survival of start-ups because of their role in the economy.