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Small Business
5 podcasts available
The missing millions: why government innovation surveys overlook micro-businesses
The UK's principal business innovation survey does not include businesses with fewer than 10 employees. That means the innovation taking place across millions of micro-businesses is largely missing from this important source of evidence. Yet these businesses are constantly innovating: developing new services, adopting AI, improving processes, finding new customers and changing how they work. Professor Stephen Roper of the Enterprise Research Centre warns that excluding the smallest firms creat...
The importance of support for micro-businesses: P
Professor Stephen Roper of the Enterprise Research Centre asks whether help is reaching the firms that need it Micro-businesses may be small, but their potential contribution to innovation and growth is significant. The problem is that the smallest firms often have the fewest resources to turn good ideas into commercial success. Limited time, finance and skills can all stand in the way. Professor Stephen Roper argues that effective support can help overcome these barriers, but it needs to ref...
Innovation and Economic Growth A Complex Link
Professor Stephen Roper of the Enterprise Research Centre explores a complex link Innovation is routinely presented as the key to economic growth, but the relationship is not always straightforward. New products, services and ways of working can increase productivity, create markets and make businesses more competitive, but innovation does not automatically translate into growth. Businesses also need skills, finance, effective marketing and the confidence to invest. For micro-businesses, th...
Does government policy recognise the importance of small businesses?
Ian Cass, Chair of the Micro Business Alliance, asks whether the smallest firms are being overlooked Government talks constantly about growth, productivity and innovation, but are micro-businesses really being heard? Ian Cass argues that too often policy is designed around larger businesses, while the realities facing the smallest firms are overlooked. Micro-business owners are dealing with regulation, tax, skills shortages and rising costs while simultaneously trying to find the time to inno...
The Future of Innovation - an ERC Podcast
Innovation isn't just technology The innovation myth: Why Britain is overlooking its most creative businesses Most people think innovation means science, technology and AI. Professor Stephen Roper explains why that definition is wrong, why creativity matters just as much as technology, and why innovation is essential for productivity, exports and economic growth. • What innovation actually means • Innovation versus invention • Why creativity is innovation • The role of service innovation • Why i...
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