The new self-employed online are those business founders and employees who work on a self-employed or freelance basis and use interactive telecommunication and Internet services in addition to telephone and fax to communicate with clients, customers and co-operation partners. The aim of the project was to identify the development and employment potential of the new form of self-employment on the Internet and to develop specific support programmes for this new form of work. The methodological approach was based, on the one hand, on the scientific evaluation of new online self-employment (questionnaire, expert interviews, case studies) and, on the other hand, on the systematisation of practice-oriented support and advisory services for this target group.

More than 400 new self-employed people took part in two online surveys and provided information on their range of services and the structure of their micro-enterprises. As a result, four types were identified that differed significantly in terms of company size, the services offered and their economic stability. In addition, an information and co-operation platform was set up for new self-employed people on the Internet and their clients (www.netrepreneur.de)which provides services and support for the target group. It is continuously adapted to the turbulent developments in the new online self-employment environment and the resulting changes in the support and counselling needs of those in employment.
The project was part of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's joint project "Microenterprises".

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