Until mid-century, the guilds, the landed aristocracy, the churches, and the government bureaucracies had so many rules and restrictions that entrepreneurship was held in low esteem, and given little opportunity to develop.
Frem til århundredets midte havde lavene, landadelen, kirken og embedsapparatet så mange regler, at iværksætteri havde lav status, og ikke fik mange chancer for at udvikle sig.