This paper presents findings from recent research undertaken into the characteristics and support needs of ethnic minority owned businesses (EMBs) in Devon and Cornwall. The study was commissioned by PROSPER (formerly Devon and Cornwall TEC and Business Link), in collaboration with the Rural...

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...

This paper investigates whether or not there is evidence of market failure in the provision of bank finance to Scottish SMEs. The key question is whether SMEs have been experiencing difficulties because of the unsuitability of the business case they were putting to the banks or because of...

This paper presents recent research assessing the impact of the financial crisis on young and established technology-based small firms (TBSFs) and considers whether their ability to contribute to economic growth is being affected by ongoing problems in obtaining external finance. It reports on...

This chapter presents research to assess the impact of the recent financial crisis on technology-based small firms (TBSFs) in the United Kingdom based on findings from an extended telephone survey with the owner-managers of 49 young and 51 more mature TBSFs, undertaken in 2010. Even before the...