Introduction: Starting-up in business networks. Why relationships matter in entrepreneurship

Few people would object to the contention that relationships matter in entrepreneurship. In the research field of entrepreneurship, there has been increasing attention to the social relationships of the entrepreneur and to the role of networking in starting up a business (e.g. Fayolle, Jack, Lamine & Chabaud, 2016; Hoang & Antoncic, 2003; Hoang & Yi, 2015; Jack, 2010). Research has shown that social relationships and the networks of entrepreneurs matter because they are resource entrepreneurs that can leverage in the starting-up process. Instead of focusing on the social relationships, this book focuses on the initial customer and supplier relationships of a start-up developed at an early stage and examine why these are important in starting up a new business venture.