Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Crowdfunding has emerged as a critical factor shaping business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) across organizations operating in and around Selected States in South-East Nigeria. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how crowdfunding relates to business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

Selected States in South-East Nigeria presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While crowdfunding is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) within Selected States in South-East Nigeria remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to crowdfunding are helping or hindering business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Crowdfunding on business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) in Selected States in South-East Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which crowdfunding influences business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with crowdfunding in relation to business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes).
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing crowdfunding in order to improve business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes).

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of crowdfunding on business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) in Selected States in South-East Nigeria?
2. To what extent does crowdfunding influence business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with crowdfunding in relation to business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes)?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize crowdfunding in order to improve business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes)?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Beyond its academic contribution to the field of entrepreneurship, this study has practical value for management teams within Selected States in South-East Nigeria seeking to understand how crowdfunding translates into measurable outcomes around business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes). It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Selected States in South-East Nigeria, focusing specifically on how crowdfunding relates to business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.