Territorial Challenges for Family Entrepreneurship: Informality, Viability and Gender Dynamics in Rural and Peri-Urban Colombia

This working paper examines the viability and segmentation of family-owned micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the municipality of Chía, Colombia, through a data-driven diagnostic framework. The study is motivated by the high failure rate of small businesses in the region, often linked to informal business practices, gendered power asymmetries, and limited technological integration. Using a structured questionnaire, information was collected from 180 entrepreneurs and 7 institutional stakeholders, covering economic, social, and digital dimensions of business activity. The analysis adopted a mixed-methods approach, integrating exploratory statistics, cluster analysis, and participatory validation workshops to identify critical viability profiles and bottlenecks. Four main entrepreneur profiles were identified: digitally active and financially formalized, informal with growth potential, structurally constrained, and resilient under informality. Each group displayed distinctive patterns in terms of market access, digital usage, household dynamics, and regulatory compliance. The results emphasize the need for differentiated public policies that address structural vulnerabilities while fostering digital inclusion and inter-agency coordination. The study also demonstrates the relevance of integrating gender-sensitive and territorially adapted strategies into local entrepreneurship support programs. This paper contributes to the understanding of rural and peri-urban entrepreneurship in Latin America by providing a replicable framework for segmentation and policy targeting. Future work should focus on impact evaluations of digital innovation programs and the development of a local entrepreneurship observatory.