Providing business support to SMEs – how to encourage firms’ engagement

While most governments operate a support system for SMEs aiming to encourage improved business performance, there is a widespread problem of having such firms engage with schemes of this kind. This policy issue is tackled here through work to develop a better understanding of SMEs’ attitudes towards the accessing and use of support programmes with a view to their business objectives being achieved. A typology of SMEs based on past interactions with the support system is identified, and consideration given to the way in which this inf luences their attitude to public (and private) support; as well as the way in which the recession has affected use and attitudes

Training, learning and business performance in SMEs: Insights from studying the 2004 Sunday Times '50 best SMEs to work for'

Research commissioned to take forward William Sargent's initiative to investigate the type of training undertaken by firms in the Sunday Times list of 'the best 50 small and medium sized enterprises to work for'. Key issues included: how they train (formal or informal); how learning is promoted internally and the importance of skills, knowledge and qualifications in recruitment and the ongoing development of the business