Enterprise and entrepreneurship is of strong interest to policy-makers because new and small firms can be a key contributor to job and wealth creation. However this contribution varies spatially, with some areas in a country having new firm formation rates that are up to three or four times higher than others. The vast majority of these new firms begin in the geographical area in which the founder lives, works or was born emphasising that entrepreneurship is a local event. The book documents a diversity of research approaches to examining the regional determinants of entrepreneurship in...

When originally published in 1993 this book was one of the first to present a systematic comparison of small enterprises in both urban and rural areas in contemporary Britain. Key issues such as relative performance levels and the relevance of recent develoopments to the economy as a whole are discussed by well-known contributors. Throughout, insights derived from dialogues with real entrepreneurs are provided. An internatinal dimension is added with a comparative discussion of the problems of rurality suffered in many areas of North America and Europe, and the continuing effects of the...

This book, originally published in 1988, analyzes the regional importance of small and medium sized enterprises, supplmenting a discussion of key issues in both regional development and th eeconomics of small firms with a wide range of national case studies from Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK, Greece, Spain, Israel and Indonesia.

This book, originally published in 1982, review the resurrection of the small firm, partly by a multi-disciplined examination of the existing literature on small and new firms and partly by reporting the results of a study of firms new (in the early 1980s) to the North East of England. Part 1 deals with the role of small firms as sources of potential or actual competition, and their role in research and innovation. In Part 2 the theoretical foundations for the study of entrepreneurs and their new firms are laid, using concepts from a cross-section of the social sciences. Part 3 tests some...

Originally published in 1983, this book reviews trends in the small-firm sector. The areas chosen cover the full spectrum of economic development. Part 1 deals with case studies from the USA, Japan, the UK, Australia, Germany and Sweden. In Part 2 Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Africa are surveyed. In all cases the authors review the variety of definitions used for the small-firm sector and present such data as are available on the changing importance of the sector. This is followed by a review of the roles of small firms in each of the economies.

Originally published in 1994, this text analyses the key issues that influence the growth and development of small businesses. Looking at the concept in which they operate, the book outlines the factors that are dominant in the sector and explores the effects if has on the economy. Is the creation of small businesses the answer to unemployment? Has the lowering of interest rates or taxation encouraged the self-employed to work harder? Have banks given small business a raw deal? These are just some of the questions discussed as David Storey explains the issues of employment, finance and...

This study, originally published in 1987, addresses the question of small firm performance. Drawing on an extensive database containing financial, employment and ownership data for several thousand small firms, the book examines whether small firms do actually provide jobs, whether they grow and why small firms fail. Guidance is given on how to spot the signs of impending failure in a small business, which is of use to accountants small business PR actioners and government grant providers.

Focussing on the relatively few small firms which grew rapidly, this book, originally published in 1993 uses face-to-face interviews as well as published records to identify and analyse the managerial factors most closely associated with successful small firms. The volume concentrates on the following key managerial issues:

1. In what respects do the managerial backgrounds and aspirations of the founders of fast-growth small firms differ from those of non-fast-growth small firms?
2. How is the process of growth managed? What incentives, remuneration packages and...