Description: Competitive Small and Medium Enterprises : A Diagnostic to Help Design Smart SME Policy

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Competitive Small and Medium Enterprises : A Diagnostic to Help Design Smart SME Policy

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a lion's share of the enterprises in most economies and are also thought to be an engine of new growth and innovation. The focus of this paper is to take the insights on SME mix and segment...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Tewari, Parth S., Skilling, David, Kumar, Pranav, Wu, Zack
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:	ADVERTISING BALANCE SHEETS BANK LOANS BARRIERS TO ENTRY BEST PRACTICE BUSINESS ACTIVITIES BUSINESS ASSOCIATION BUSINESS CLIMATE BUSINESS ENTRY BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS FORMATION BUSINESS MODELS BUSINESS REGULATIONS CAPACITY BUILDING CAPITAL INVESTMENT CAPITAL MARKET CAPITAL MARKETS CLIENT CLIENTS COMPANIES COMPANY COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE COMPETITIVENESS COMPETITORS COMPLIANCE COSTS CREDIT CUSTOMERS DATA DATABASE DECISION MAKING DEMOGRAPHICS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM DOMAIN DONORS DOWNSIZING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC DYNAMICS ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC POLICIES ECONOMIC VALUE EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE EMPIRICAL STUDIES EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT SHARE ENTERPRISE ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISE SURVEY ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY ENTREPRENEURS ENTREPRENEURSHIP EQUIPMENT EQUITY EXPANSION EXPORT MARKETS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCIAL MARKET FINANCIAL SUPPORT FINANCING INSTRUMENTS FIRM FIRM SIZE FIRMS FIXED COSTS FOREIGN MARKET GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS GOVERNMENT FUNDING GOVERNMENT POLICIES GOVERNMENT POLICY GRANT GRANTS GROWTH PATH GROWTH PATHS GROWTH POTENTIAL HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN RESOURCES INCENTIVES INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY PRODUCTIVITY INFORMAL ECONOMY INFORMAL SECTOR INFORMATION INNOVATION INNOVATIONS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL MARKET INTERNATIONAL TRADE INTERNATIONALISATION INVESTOR INVESTORS JOB CREATION LAND LEASING LOANS LOCAL FIRMS MANUFACTURERS MANUFACTURING MARKET MARKET ACCESS MARKET DEMAND MARKET RESEARCH MARKET SHARE MARKETING MARKETS MATERIAL MEDIUM ENTERPRISES MNC MONITORING MULTINATIONAL MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES NATIONAL INCOME NEW TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS PARTIES PARTY PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE MEASURES POLICY ENVIRONMENT POLICY MAKERS POLICY SUPPORT PRICE PRIVATE SECTOR PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT PRIVATE SECTORS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PRODUCT INNOVATION PRODUCTION FUNCTION PRODUCTION OUTPUT PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTIVITY GAINS PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH PROJECT MANAGEMENT R&AMP;D RESEARCH AGENDA RESULTS REVENUE REVENUES SEE SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES SMALL BUSINESS SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMICS SMALL BUSINESSES SMALL FIRMS SME SME DEVELOPMENT SME POLICIES SME POLICY SME SECTOR SME SECTORS SMES SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT SUBSIDIES TECHNOLOGY TIME PERIOD USES VALUE CHAIN VALUES WAGES WEALTH CREATION
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/05/18487507/competitive-small-medium-enterprises-diagnostic-help-design-smart-sme-policy http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16636

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Summary:	Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a lion's share of the enterprises in most economies and are also thought to be an engine of new growth and innovation. The focus of this paper is to take the insights on SME mix and segments to practical implications for developing countries around the world. The paper attempts to do this by providing a diagnostic approach that client countries and regions can use to assess their SME sectors and tease out firms' contribution to the local economy. Guidelines and specific examples of policies based on the insights in the paper have been provided. Lastly, the paper includes some areas of future research that are required on the subject. This paper proceeds in three steps. The first is to better understand the economic contribution of SMEs. This analysis complements the existing policy focus and takes it further to direct attention to a more specific set of growth drivers to enable the firms that matter disproportionately, the competitive SMEs, while remaining inclusive and avoiding market distortion. The second step is to develop a perspective on how best to complement the policy focus on competitive SMEs with that on larger firms. Policy-makers need to structure policy appropriately to develop a healthy eco-system of firms. The third step is to make this analysis actionable by policy-makers. This paper provides an initial SME policy diagnostic. A better understanding of how to encourage SME growth has the potential to make a substantial contribution to national economic performance.