Support for post start-up small business growth
type: CreativeWork
description: The objective of this thesis is to determine how small firm support provision might be improved in order to help post start-up businesses in Devon and Cornwall to grow. Interest in this issue stems from (a) previous research carried out in the region highlighting a possible need for continued business support after the initial 12 month start-up period and (b) the increasing emphasis upon stimulating business growth apparent in recent small firm policy. An examination of relevant literature demonstrates that current understanding of the critical influences upon young post start-up business growth and the extent to which existing support adequately addresses such factors is limited. To address these gaps in existing knowledge, two questionnaire surveys are conducted. In both, emphasis is placed upon owner-manager perceptions in recognition of an identified need for support to be client-led and because of the role played by owner-manager perceptions in influencing growth motivation and actual growth. In-depth interviews are also carried out with ownermanagers and staff from start-up support providing organisations. A variety of techniques are employed to analyse questionnaire responses. Overall, results indicate that owner-managers view the critical influences upon the growth of their firms to be highly individual in nature. Other findings show employment growth and growth intentions amongst responding businesses to be limited. However, some variations are shown to exist between firms. Discriminant analysis is employed to determine the effectiveness of those company characteristics associated with variations in predicting business growth, owner-manager growth intentions and owner-manager perceptions of the importance of different factors influencing growth. Results suggest that in providing support for young post start-up firms, the targeting of businesses on the basis of easily measured characteristics is not likely to be effective. Results from the second survey show…
abstract: The objective of this thesis is to determine how small firm support provision might be improved in order to help post start-up businesses in Devon and Cornwall to grow. Interest in this issue stems from (a) previous research carried out in the region highlighting a possible need for continued business support after the initial 12 month start-up period and (b) the increasing emphasis upon stimulating business growth apparent in recent small firm policy. An examination of relevant literature demonstrates that current understanding of the critical influences upon young post start-up business growth and the extent to which existing support adequately addresses such factors is limited. To address these gaps in existing knowledge, two questionnaire surveys are conducted. In both, emphasis is placed upon owner-manager perceptions in recognition of an identified need for support to be client-led and because of the role played by owner-manager perceptions in influencing growth motivation and actual growth. In-depth interviews are also carried out with ownermanagers and staff from start-up support providing organisations. A variety of techniques are employed to analyse questionnaire responses. Overall, results indicate that owner-managers view the critical influences upon the growth of their firms to be highly individual in nature. Other findings show employment growth and growth intentions amongst responding businesses to be limited. However, some variations are shown to exist between firms. Discriminant analysis is employed to determine the effectiveness of those company characteristics associated with variations in predicting business growth, owner-manager growth intentions and owner-manager perceptions of the importance of different factors influencing growth. Results suggest that in providing support for young post start-up firms, the targeting of businesses on the basis of easily measured characteristics is not likely to be effective. Results from the second survey show…
author: Lean, Jonathan
language: eng
keywords: Management & business studies
date published: 1996-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:50:03Z
provider: University of Plymouth
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Plymouth