Internet Facilities in Rural Entrepreneurship: Narratives of Nigerian Rural Entrepreneurs and Malaysian Rural Entrepreneurs

Abstract

The study of internet facilities is very important for the knowledge of how the use of internet expands across businesses in rural areas. The aim of this research is to investigate internet facilities in rural entrepreneurship, narratives of Nigerian rural entrepreneurs and Malaysian rural entrepreneurs. The study is ethnographic in nature and targets to share a wide description of the knowledge and perceptions of thirty one respondents. Data were gathered from thirty one respondents using open-ended questions. The method applied to analyse the data was narrative analysis. The business owners with good knowledge in internet facilities in rural entrepreneurship were the respondents. The results show that internet facility is utilised in different manner by different types of businesses. While the Nigerian rural entrepreneurs relies less on internet facilities to differentiate itself, the rural entrepreneurs in Malaysia has heavy use of internet facilities in business. The results demonstrate that convergence of mobile telecommunications, computing and internet technologies has the power to change the lives of individuals.  Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is an element that has enabled a shift in business sectors. It has the power to increase the effectiveness of other factors of business, hence giving rise to business growth.