One of the most striking trends in economic development since the 1970s has been the rising importance of the small firm. Focusing on the issues of enterprise development and the regional dimensions of small-firm growth, this book explores the literature of this area. Moving from an analysis of measures of growth to the effects of both internal and external variables - arguing that the owner-manager has a key role in the growth performance of the firm - the authors explore regional disparities in, and constraints on, growth, and make significant advances in the policy debate on understanding how faster growth can be achieved.

One of the most striking trends in economic development since the 1970s has been the rising importance of the small firm. Focusing on the issues of enterprise development and the regional dimensions of small-firm growth, this book explores the literature of this area. Moving from an analysis of measures of growth to the effects of both internal and external variables - arguing that the owner-manager has a key role in the growth performance of the firm - the authors explore regional disparities in, and constraints on, growth, and make significant advances in the policy debate on understanding how faster growth can be achieved.