• Barriers to entry describe high start-up costs or other barriers that prevent new competitors from easily entering an industry or area of business.

  • Barriers to entry benefit existing firms because they protect their revenues and profits and prevent others from taking market share.
  • Barriers to entry can be caused naturally, by government intervention, or by pressure from established firms.
  • Each industry has its own set of entry barriers that startups have to face.
  • Barriers to entry can be financial (high cost to enter the market), regulatory (laws restricting trade) or operational (attempts to attract loyal customers or unavailability of trade channels).