As self-employment and entrepreneurship become increasingly important in our modern economies, Simon Parker provides a timely and comprehensive overview of the field. Bringing together considerable disparate literature, Parker offers an up-to-date assessment of new research findings. Key issues addressed include raising finance; job creation by the self-employed; growth and exit behavior of new ventures; and the role of government policy in promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship. This book will serve as an essential reference guide to researchers, students and teachers of entrepreneurship.