Supporting sustained growth among SMEs – policy models and guidelines

Stephen Roper and Mark Hart ()
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Mark Hart: Aston University Business School

No 7, White Papers from Enterprise Research Centre

Abstract: Among SMEs high growth is often episodic and not sustained. How can we best support SMEs to achieve sustained growth? In this paper we review a number of international support measures designed to give SMEs the capabilities and resources to sustain fast growth. Policy guidelines emerge suggesting the need for partnership, for regionalised delivery and the potential value of holistic supports for sustained growth. Support measures are of three main types: Systemic measures which focus on informational or strategic market failures; Holistic approaches – which combine business development and leadership development; Functional or thematic approaches – which focus more narrowly on financial support, on management and leadership development or technology adoption or use. Reviewing these schemes suggests seven design or implementation guidelines for measures aiming to support sustained growth. These relate both to the effective targeting of growth support measures as well as ensuring that schemes are both effective and efficient.

Keywords: SME; small business; sustained growth; policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L53 L78 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 68 pages
Date: 2013-09-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-ent and nep-sbm
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:enr:wpaper:0007

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