Small businesses as community hearts

massey-university

Thu Apr 12 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Small businesses as community hearts

Thursday, 12 April 2007, 9:57 am
Press Release: Massey University

One of Britain’s leading researchers on small businesses says they add value to communities as well as economies.

Dr Francis Greene says a local newsagent is a good example of a small business providing a “heart” for a community. He says research in the United States and Britain shows that most small business owners say they are in it less for the money but more for the lifestyle and interaction with the community.

“Many are run by people who may be older or part of an ethnic group. They may not make a living wage from their business and strictly speaking, they should get out. But they stay because of these other benefits. They may also decide to stay to avoid losing face – or because their other skills have eroded over time.”

Dr Greene says most small businesses are one of two kinds: “They either help you, as an individual, live your life. Or they help your house live its life.”

Dr Greene is with the Centre for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises at the University of Warwick, a key centre for the research and training of SMEs. He is here to speak at a seminar organised by the Centre for Small and Medium Enterprise Research at Massey University Wellington tomorrow.

He says the main differences between SMEs in New Zealand and in Britain are geographic. “In Britain, small businesses have a market of 350 million people on their doorstep. Your nearest big market is Australia with 20 million people. In most cases, the only way for a small business in New Zealand to grow bigger is to export.

His speech tomorrow will focus on using research to make good policy to support SMEs.

ENDS

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