This paper discusses different aspects of entrepreneurial spin-offs in the private sector, a definition as well as a theoretical discussion on the driving forces, the pre spin-off process, key actors in the spin-off process and their roles played in the process. The chosen definition of entrepreneurial spin-offs is: When one or more individual/s is/are leaving an organization (quitting his/her/their employment) with the intention to start a new firm that is based on elements from the firm he/she/they is/are leaving, and where the originating organization (the employer) does neither have a dominant influence in the new firm according to ownership or power. The discussed spin-off pre-process is divided in the following steps: One or more individuals becomes aware of a possible business venture The idea to try to exploit this business venture arises The desire to do it in an own firm arises Investigation of possibilities to start a new firm The decision to start a new firm The actual start of the new firm (the time of the spin-off) The spin-off entrepreneur/s is/are leaving the employment of the originating firm with the intention to run their own business The key actors in the spin-off process that is discussed are: The spin-off entrepreneur/s The management of the originating (incubator) firm The initial customers of the spin-off firm The initial suppliers and other supporters of the spin-off firm. The paper ends with some hypotheses of the differences between genuine, new, start-ups and establishment of new firms through entrepreneurial spin-offs.