Profiling an Entrepreneurial Family in the UK

The purpose of this investigation is to profile a family in the U.K. whose members display entrepreneurial characteristics but are not engaged in a typical family-owned business. Of the 46 family members that are over the age of 18, 27 of them (59%) may be considered to be engaged with some form of entrepreneurial activity. This paper is unique in that it is the first to identify and research this topic. The data for this investigation has been collected using semi-structured interviews from nine entrepreneurial members of the family. It specifically explores the factors of family background and finance upon their entrepreneurial tendencies along with their attitudes toward risk and their use of counterfactual thought. It also profiles the family member’s entrepreneurial bricolage, negative thinking, problem solving, positive mental imagery, gender, opportunism and self-image. The observed family’s entrepreneurial profile disagrees with much of the entrepreneurial theory. It finds that the family members do employ entrepreneurial bricolage and generally come from financially sound backgrounds, but finds that they do not employ counterfactual or negative thinking. It also finds that entrepreneurial influences may arise from junior as well as senior family members.