Subsistence entrepreneurship: insights from our journey into subsistence marketplaces and marketplace literacy

Madhubalan Viswanathan, Maria Jones and Steven Morse

Chapter 6 in Handbook of Research on Base of the Pyramid Entrepreneurship, 2026, pp 96-106 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter explores subsistence entrepreneurship, highlighting a bottom-up approach, which emphasizes the unique challenges faced by low-income individuals in navigating marketplaces. It delves into the nature of subsistence entrepreneurship, highlighting the duality of entrepreneurship and consumption, and the importance of marketplace literacy. The study examines individual, social, and contextual factors, including the impact of low literacy and income on entrepreneurial intentions and coping strategies. It also discusses the role of marketplace literacy in enhancing self-confidence, entrepreneurial intentions, and personal well-being. By focusing on the lived experiences of subsistence entrepreneurs, the subsistence marketplace approach provides unique insights into how necessity-borne entrepreneurship can lead to economic success and empowerment, despite extreme constraints.

Keywords: Subsistence Marketplaces; Subsistence Entrepreneurship; Marketplace Literacy; Low-income Entrepreneurs; Bottom-up Approach; Economic Empowerment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781802202137
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