Entrepreneurial behaviour among rural in-migrants

Rural areas in developed nations have undergone a signifi cant transition over recent decades. Agriculture is no longer the dominant economic force, leaving space for a new rural population that brings with it new business activities, new demands for goods and services, increased mobility and greater outward connectedness. This mobility has seen counterurbanisation become established as a major trend in rural demography, leading us to focus on the impact of an increased population in rural areas. This new population brings challenges but also opportunities for rural economies and communities, and through analysis of the entrepreneurial activities of rural in-migrants, this chapter seeks to identify how these opportunities are contributing to new processes of rural development.