Abstract

• This paper intends to explore opportunities and challenges to do business in Bilu Island, Mon State, Myanmar. There are 78 villages on this island. This paper focuses on three villages where entrepreneurs are doing home businesses and each village has at least 15 businesses. The observation was first conducted. By observation, the distinct contexts of three villages are found out. After observation for general review, the focus group discussion method is applied to explore opportunities and challenges to do business in these villages. Four focus group discussions (discussions of 48 entrepreneurs) are conducted. From these focus group discussions, the common factors (either opportunities and challenges) emerged. Then, the structured questionnaire is developed by focusing on findings from focus group discussions. The personal interview method is applied by using this questionnaire. The data are collected from 191 entrepreneurs from these three villages. Only 126 entrepreneurs responded to survey. From descriptive analysis, it is found that challenges are more in Ywalutt and Mudoon villages. The challenges of these two villages are financial literacy, market assess, availability of raw materials, skills needed, economies of scale, and transportation. Their opportunities are credit assess, innovation, visits of tourists and visits of local people. However, the visits of tourist have no impact on entrepreneurs of Mudoon village. Kawt Dyut village is distinct from other two villages. Its opportunities are credit assess, financial literacy, market assess, skills needed, availability of raw materials, and economies of scale. Innovation, transportation, visits of tourists, and visits of local people are not impacting on entrepreneurs in this village. Entrepreneurs are not facing challenges to run their businesses. On the Bilu Island, the eco-system (raw materials, workers, market needs, and finance) of a village should collaboratively support to major businesses of this village. Project of one village one product should be implemented in Bilu Island because villages have distinct opportunities and challenges.