De invloed van startmotieven op de financiële situatie en arbeidstevredenheid van zzp’ers The impact of motives on the financial situation and job satisfaction of the solo self-employed

This study examines to the extent to which Dutch men and women differ in their motives to become solo self-employed and how various types of motives play a role in explaining financial and non-financial returns to solo self-employment. We analyzed data from comparative surveys carried out among 781 Dutch solo self-employed persons. The results show that, for a majority of the Dutch solo self-employed, so-called pull factors (like looking for a new challenge or more autonomy) play an important role, whereas for about a quarter of respondents push factors (like not being able to find a job as an employee) play an important role. Women relatively often indicate that the combination of work and family plays a role; for men necessity-driven motives more often played a role when becoming solo self-employed. The analyses show that the self-employed who start their business from push motives are not only less successful in running their businesses, but also more likely to live in households running a deficit and are less satisfied with their jobs. We conclude that the relationships between motives and the benefits of solo self-employment deserve more attention from economic and social policy makers – especially if push as well as pull factors are increasingly encouraging an inflow into solo self-employment.