Do dot.com and traditional entrepreneurs succeed in the same way? A multiple case study in Catalonia

The increasing development of Information Technologies (ITs) and especially Internet significantly affects both firms and markets. In this context, two types of firms appear. Firms with a physical presence (traditional companies) that consider Internet as a new distribution channel or a logical extension of their traditional business, and pure dot.com firms (internet start-ups or cybertraders) that operate solely in this environment. This paper investigates whether entrepreneur’ s background may constitute a success factor for both cybertraders and traditional firms in Catalonia. Also, the characteristics and profiles of digital and traditional entrepreneurs to identify potential differences in their success factors are compared. © 2008 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.