An Empirical Study of the Small Business Support Network—The Entrepreneurs' Perspective

This study examines impediments to small business development as they relate to the enterprise support network. In order to identify sources of dissatisfaction, 10 small business owners were brought together for a focus group discussion. Subsequently, another 90 small businesses were surveyed by telephone, in an effort to explore the perceptions of the focus group further. A high level of satisfaction was expressed with the counsel of professional advisors, but low regard for the fit between government programs and the needs of small business. Those companies which could not name any government programs that had been beneficial were likely to be smaller organizations. Also, firms not using the services of outside professionals tended to have fewer employees, as did the firms which did not prepare business plans. Further, companies with staffs of two to four showed substantially lower levels of satisfaction with their bank relationship than did any other companies, both in level of support received and their financing arrangements. Resume La presente etude porte sur les obstacles relies au reseau d'aide a l'entreprise qui empechent l'expansion des petites entreprises. Pour etablir les causes d'insatisfaction, l'equipe a reuni un groupe de discussion forme de 10 proprietaires de petites entreprises. Puis, pour approfondir les perceptions de ce groupe, elle a sonde par telephone 90 autres entreprises de meme taille. Il en ressort une haute satisfaction du recours aux services des conseils professionnels, mais un decalage entre les programmes gouvernementaux et les besoins de la petite entreprise. Les tres petites societes sont generalement incapables de designer un seul programme gouvernemental qui leur aurait ete benefique. Par ailleurs, celles qui ne consultent pas a l'externe tendent a avoir un personnel tres reduit, tout comme celles qui n'elaborent pas de plans d'entreprise. Enfin, les societes employant de deux a quatre personnes se sont declarees moins satisfaites que les autres de leurs relations avec leurs banquiers, en ce qui concerne l'aide et les modalites de financement.