This executive summary reports on a study that tracked Euro preparationsby UK SMEs that had trade or ownership links with the EU. This study isunique because unlike other studies which measure Euro preparationsamongst the general UK business population, it tracks ‘euro aware’ UKbusinesses...

The UK self-employment rate is similar to that in Austria,France, Germany, Luxembourg and Ireland, and is in the mid-rangefor the EU.• In total, the self-employed in the UK employ a further 2.6 millionpeople.• The UK is one of only six EU countries in which males have a higherprobability of...

In February 2002, the Small Business Service (SBS) commissioned LeedsMetropolitan University (LMU) to conduct a review of the contribution ofgraduates to small business success. The project stems from a risingconcern amongst policy makers that after years of experimentation instimulating...

The Small Business Service (SBS) commissioned York Consulting Limited(YCL) to carry out an early assessment of the Company Rescue Schemepilots.Concerns have been expressed that a large number of small firms capable ofbeing turned around are being wound up unnecessarily due to a lack...

•One tentative estimate places the incidence of transfer failure at around 100,000 per year, although many of these ‘failures’ involve micro businesses, with few assets or employees, and which may not be viable candidates for transfer. Through a literature review, focus groups with those...

This Report was commissioned to identify the importance of business angel investment in the UK, summarise previous approaches to mapping the scale and scope of the business angel market, identify new approaches to measuring business angel activity and assess the implications for policy.A...

The objectives of this study were as follows (1) determine the extent to which late payment is affecting businesses in the UK and how this has changed in ten years; (2) to provide as assessment of credit granting behaviour among UK businesses during the last ten years; (3) to assess the...

The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of government regulation on small business performance outcomes. The received wisdom arising from previous studies often assumes a rather narrow view of regulation focussing on the burdens, costs and constraints that regulation imposes on...

This study was designed to ‘sense check’ emerging estimates of the monthly administrative costs associated with personal accounts arrangements in SMEs. The principal aims were to:(a) Solicit views on the accuracy of estimates of time/costs based on internal government analysis.(b) Identify...

In December 2006 the Government announced proposals to promote private pension saving across UK workplaces. These proposals are explained in the Government’s White Paper, ‘Personal accounts: a new way to save’ . The proposed personal accounts system will operate from 2012 and will require...