Micro enterprises are often treated as smaller versions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), overlooking their distinct logics and heterogeneity. This paper develops a typology based on growth orientation and ownership structure, identifying four archetypes: Livelihood Sustainers, Community Anchors, Aspirational Startups, and Hybrid Social Ventures. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV), Institutional Theory, Contingency Theory, Socioemotional Wealth (SEW), and Stewardship Theory, the study presents a conceptual framework that explains how alignment across resources, governance, institutional engagement, mission, and strategic fit shapes performance and resilience. The framework offers a structured, empirically observable classification system to advance understanding of micro enterprise diversity. Implications for research, policy, and practice highlight the need for context-sensitive approaches that recognize the distinct needs of different micro enterprise types.
