Effectiveness of Business support for SMEs

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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ABSTRACT

The objective of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of SME business support Programs. The SEMs sector makes a vital contribution to the state's economy. There are over 470, 000 SMEs comprising 96 per cent of all businesses and employing 43 per cent of the private sector workforce. The study will be based on the TTT programs which are used as effective business support programs. The current situation is significantly different from the previous decade, when it came to shaping the institute of public support therefore the aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of business support for SMEs. Data for the research project will be a combination of Secondary and primary research. . The study was based on conducting interviews from business development managers who agreed that the business support is necessary for any business to run therefore it is necessary that the functions related to it should be properly checked and, managed well. The findings of the study demonstrated that SMEs plays an important role in the business sector and they help the business to grow.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

Overview of SMEs2

Overview of Business Support for SMEs4

Role of Business Support in Surmounting these Challenges4

Aim and Objectives of the study5

Time to Thrive5

Statement of Research Question7

Hypothesis for the study7

Theoretical Rationale8

Implications for the Organization9

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW11

Defining SMEs11

Characterizing SMEs12

Defining Business Support for SMEs13

SMEs Business Support Needs14

Supply Chain Management15

E-business18

Related Theories19

Capability Development Models used by organizations for business support21

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)21

Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT)24

Cobit Quick start25

IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)26

Intensive versus other forms of Business Support27

Organizational effectiveness29

Use of IT31

SME Business Support34

Other initiatives for SMEs38

Benefits of business support programs to SMEs40

Challenges faced by SMEs43

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY45

Quantitative and Qualitative Approach45

Research Approach48

Questionnaires/Interviews49

Sample50

Access51

Informed Consent51

Confidentiality52

Validity and Reliability52

Research Ethics54

Ethical Issues of Investigation54

Possible Constraints of the Dissertation55

CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION57

Hypothesis Testing57

Discussion59

How does business support program play an effective role for SMEs?61

What are the benefits of business support programs for SMEs?63

What kinds of challenges are faced by SMEs and how these challenges can be met by business support programs?64

How business support programs can be effectively implemented in SMEs?67

What are the business process models used and how these models are applied in SMEs?70

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS73

Conclusion73

Recommendations74

Future Research76

REFERENCES79

APPENDICES88

Interview Questions88

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The SEMs sector makes a vital contribution to the state's economy. There are over 470, 000 SMEs comprising 96 per cent of all businesses and employing 43 per cent of the private sector workforce. It is estimated that the sector accounts for 35 per cent of ...