Sustainability of micro-enterprises in the digital economy

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating the predisposition leading to the sustainability of micro-enterprises in the digital economy, especially the sharing economy. This area represents a new field since the research of the impact of the sharing economy on small enterprises is still in its infancy. We study the role of the entrepreneurial approach and entrepreneurial philosophy of the small business with regard to the digitalization and the sustainable development and growth using examples from the European Union and the United States. Some common features and trends are derived and the outcomes are discussed. Our results point at the fact that by creating an economy for micro-entrepreneurs, the sharing economy thrives on traditional industry disrupted by technology. Since micro-enterprises constitute a backbone of the economy in many developed and developing countries, more research is required to shed the light of the sustainable development of these types of enterprises in the globalized and digitalized world.