Billions of dollars have been spent in the last twenty years on assistance for micro, small and medium businesses. Yet there have been few attempts to count the costs and compare them to the benefits.This is the first book to systematically evaluate, measure and review the costs and benefits of small enterprise development programs through a range of examples of best practice from within the field.The authors have drawn on their extensive experience in business and as consultants within the enterprise development industry for this extensive study. They show that it is possible to measure and compare the costs and benefits of small enterprise development programs, and that donors, NGOs, tax payers and small business administrators themselves should demand that those who are responsible for such programs must demonstrate that they are providing value for money.