Exploring the Early Stages of Service-Based Firms

Stage models have attempted to clarify management priorities during the early stages of business growth. However, many of these models are conceptually based and have a universal focus, providing only limited added value for businesses in specific industries and business environments. A focused and empirically based stage framework provides an effective tool for reflecting on and predicting challenges businesses face during the early stages of growth. Such models are especially useful for entrepreneurs, managers and business advisors. The early stages of technology-based ventures have attracted the interest of scholars, while only limited attention has been paid to the early stages of service-based firms. This study takes a closer look to the early stages of growth at the context of service-based firms. The research problem described above can be condensed into the following research question: What are the basic characteristics of the recent empirically based studies focused on the early stages of service-based firms? This study is a meta-analytical review designed to answer this question. A group of recent, empirically based stage models focused on the early stages of service-based business were selected for a closer meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted to explore some of these models’ central findings. This explorative study provides first steps towards forming a self-evaluation framework for early-stage service-based companies.