Fiona Neathey, Jennifer Hurstfield, Becci Newton, Peter Bates
ISBN 0 7559 3987 5
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CONTENTS
The Institute for Employment Studies
Acknowledgements
Key Messages from the Research
1. Introduction
1.1 Summary of the research method
2. Characteristics of Small Businesses
2.1 Number of staff employed
2.2 Industrial and commercial sectors covered
2.3 Financial turnover
2.4 Legal form of the business
2.5 Family businesses
2.6 Whether or not the business exports outside the UK
2.7 The extent to which women and people from minority ethnic groups are involved in managing the business
2.8 Origins of Scottish small business managers
2.9 Disability among SME managers
2.10 The physical characteristics of the main location of the business
2.11 The age of the business
2.12 Membership of trade associations
3. New Businesses
3.1 Previous activities of new business managers
3.2 Rationales for business start-ups
3.3 Time taken to start trading
3.4 Advice about starting up (or taking over) the business
3.5 Obstacles to starting up the business
4. Businesses With No Employees
4.1 Reasons for having no employees
5. Business Objectives and Growth
5.1 The health of Scottish business
5.2 Recent and anticipated employment growth
5.3 Intention to grow the business
5.4 Means of achieving growth
5.5 Rationales for growth
5.6 Rationales for not growing
5.7 Small business perspectives on growth
6. Barriers and Obstacles to Achieving Business Objectives
6.1 Overall incidence of obstacles to business
6.2 Greatest obstacle to business
6.3 Tax and the tax system
7. Financing the Business
7.1 Seeking finance
7.2 Reasons for seeking finance
7.3 Type of finance sought
7.4 Amount of finance sought
7.5 Difficulty in obtaining finance
7.6 Impact of difficulties raising finance
8. Business Advice and Support
8.1 Seeking advice about business regulation
8.2 Satisfaction with advice received: variation between different sources
8.3 Advice about regulations: use and satisfaction combined
8.4 General advice and information on business matters
8.5 Reasons for not using advice
8.6 Awareness of Business Gateway/Local Enterprise Companies
9. Other Issues
9.1 Crime
9.2 Innovation
9.3 Public procurement
9.4 Transport
9.5 Encouraging others to set-up a business
Appendix 1: Sample N numbers
Appendix 2: Listing of Tables and Figures
Prepared by:
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The views expressed in this report are those of the researcher and
do not necessarily represent those of the Department or Scottish Ministers.
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