Motivation & Challenges for Student Entrepreneurship in Sweden : What are the motivating factors for students to start their own business in Sweden and what challenges can they face?

Abstract: Due to different types of benefits and advantages, it is an attractive alternative for graduates to become entrepreneurs, either during their studies or after completing their education. In addition to the benefits and advantages of becoming an entrepreneur, there can be a number of challenges and disadvantages that they face. This study aims to explore the motivating factors and challenges that student entrepreneurs face when it comes to starting their own company in Sweden. A qualitative approach is what has been selected for this study and tenstudent entrepreneurs who live in Sweden have been interviewed through open ended semistructured interviews. Using a thematic analysis, the results could be analyzed, and this study concluded that student entrepreneurs are motivated by flexible schedules, independence, follow in the parents' footsteps as self-employed, preserve family tradition, transform passion/ hobby into business, outlet for their creativity, they do not have to worry to become unemployed and their own personal skills motivate them. The challenges that student entrepreneurs face and have difficulty with are lack of resources, lack of networks, lack of administrative and entrepreneurial skills, lack of legal / formal help from various organizations, lack of support from business partners or family, negative personality traits and management of tax systems. A new challenge was also identified, and this challenge is about forming a strong and sustainable team and when it comes to finding the right people to hire.