Abstract
The global integration of markets is a challenge, not only for managers of large firms, but especially for entrepreneurs. The internet supports progressing globalisation as well as entrepreneurial market activities. Entrepreneurs develop and employ exceptional concepts to cope with market complexity as well as day-to-day challenges. These concepts are important as they bridge entrepreneurs with their markets: meeting customer needs and characterising the target market are basic elements of marketing that seem inherent in entrepreneurial activities. In particular, the thought collective is a special form of the entrepreneur’s individual network, and therefore a crucial factor. The main question of this article is how the internet can be employed for a successful establishment of entrepreneurial companies. In an empirical analysis, entrepreneurial activities are analysed with the help of a four-layer model, merging the perspectives of theory, entrepreneurs, experts and customers. Theoretical aspects of various disciplines are taken into account. The results are hypotheses for further research on entrepreneurship and recommended courses of actions for entrepreneurs. © 2010 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.