Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development: Volume 5 Issue 1

Assuring consultant quality for SMEs – the role of Business Links

Jennifer Tann, Sylvie Laforet

The British Government instituted a new direction for small business support in 1992 with the establishment of Business Links. These are intended to coordinate assistance through…

Policy, prediction and growth: picking start‐up winners?

Mark S. Freel

Based on a number of detailed, in‐depth, cases selected from 30 face‐to‐face company interviews and placed in the context of the literature, this paper will argue that targeted…

Introducing and evaluating continuing professional development

David Irwin

It is increasingly important for firms to put in place programmes for continuing professional development (CPD). It is important, however, that CPD relates back clearly to…

So much opportunity – so little take up: the use of training in smaller firms

Sue Marlow

This paper discusses the utilisation of employee training and development initiatives in the UK focusing specifically upon the smaller firm. It is argued that to assess and…

Business Link impact and future challenges

Parminder Summon

The publication, in October 1997, of the Government’s Business Link “Vision Statement” which announces 18 separate action points to enhance the Business Link service, demonstrates…

The Shell Technology Enterprise Programme: benefits reported by students and “host” employers

Paul Westhead

To assess the short‐term effectiveness of the Shell Technology Enterprise Programme (STEP), students and “host” employers who participated in the programme in 1994 were…

The characteristics of new equity markets for SMEs

Mark A. Clatworthy

Against the background of a continuing SME equity gap, this paper describes the regulatory framework and characteristics of three new secondary equity markets (AIM, OFEX and…