Entrepreneurial Seniors. Inspiring Initiatives in Spain, Finland, Slovakia and Portugal

Social entrepreneurship among older people is of great importance given the ageing of the population and the need to promote active ageing through the creation of enterprises. The main objective of this study is to analyse the main aspects taken into account by older people who have undertaken social entrepreneurship in the field of social economy. Specifically, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four senior entrepreneurs in Spain, Slovakia, Finland and Portugal. The enterprises belong to different areas: livestock, construction, home care, handicrafts, but with the common link of representing good examples in the field of social economy since part of the profits are invested in the local community to ensure the sustainability of the project and the development of the area. The results show the motivations, needs, threats and strengths of senior entrepreneurs, as well as the strategies that have been established to face the general impact that the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has had on senior businesses.