This paper reviews the first year experience of a programme (Backing Winners), launched by North Yorkshire TEC in 1995 to provide support for new and young businesses with growth potential. The Backing Winners (BW) programme differs from previous schemes in that it is not restricted to clients...

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine and explain why most small firms remain small. A new conceptual framework – the condition of smallness – is proposed. Design/methodology/approach: A critical examination of the literature about the nature of being a small firm is first...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine and explain why most small firms remain small. A new conceptual framework – the condition of smallness – is proposed. Design/methodology/approach – A critical examination of the literature about the nature of being a small firm is first...

NORTH D. and SMALLBONE D. (2000) The innovativeness and growth of rural SMEs during the 1990s, Reg Studies 34 , 145-157. The paper summarizes the results of a study of innovation in rural small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in England over the 1991-96 period. It is based on a survey of 330...

Based on an empirical investigation of the development of a group of manufacturing SMEs comparing the characteristics and strategies of firms achieving high growth between 1979‐90 with the weaker performing companies. Shows that high growth can be achieved by firms with a variety of size,...