The second lockdown risks an insolvency tsunami

Thousands of businesses across England will remain shuttered today as the new month-long coronavirus lockdown takes effect. Citing new scientific evidence showing an expected surge in cases nationwide over the coming weeks, the Government finally bowed to pressure and abandoned its previous regional tiering strategy last weekend. Critics argue that a sharp ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown… Read more

Job loss fears making workers less open about mental health

Latest ERC Research Report released today shows workers have become less open about their mental health struggles since the coronavirus outbreak because of fears they could lose their jobs if they speak up, new research suggests. The findings  based on in-depth interviews with managers in UK firms over the summer, also show workplaces have become divided… Read more

Job loss fears making workers less open about mental health

‘Furlough envy’, isolation and additional home stresses have triggered deteriorations in workplace mental health, new study suggests Workers less likely to talk to managers about experiencing mental health problems since lockdown, fearing ‘repercussions’ Study highlights need to raise awareness among employers of resources available to support mental health   Workers have become less open about… Read more

Summer 2020 Press Coverage

The Times: How small businesses can get one over the big boys in Zoom revolution Good News Liverpool: Ground-breaking collaboration set to highlight social enterprises Invest Liverpool: Women’s Org to help deliver major UK research project Bdaily: Ground-breaking new research collaboration is set to shine a light on social enterprises North West Business News: Ground-breaking… Read more

What do we ‘mean’ by productivity anyway?

The pandemic has brought about difficult times for many businesses in the UK. Currently, with the onset of a second wave, and the end of the Brexit transition period only 80 days away, the road to economic recovery looks arduous. Inevitably, the rate of job and firm destruction will increase but for those businesses that… Read more

Leadership in ‘laggards’ key to post-Covid productivity gains

New study challenges assumption that most productive firms will drive future productivity gains Inspirational leadership shown to boost productivity in firms of all sizes and sectors, even those starting with low levels Research provides evidence to support recent public investment in ‘soft skills’ training for business leaders New research from the Enterprise Research Centre suggests… Read more

Productivity in SMEs: A tale of the tortoise and the hare?

In recent years, we have heard much of the ‘frontier firms’ – those at the top end of the productivity scale, leaping further ahead of other firms – the hares and the tortoises, if you will. But our recent research, examining Companies House data for more than 17,000 firms across 12 sectors, suggests that small and… Read more

Chancellor’s new measures “leave 3m entrepreneurs high and dry”

News release – for immediate use 24 September 2020  Millions of early-stage entrepreneurs and limited company directors “thrown to the wolves” despite extensions to support schemes Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s ‘winter economy plan’ still excludes millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners from support, the Enterprise Research Centre has warned. Key measures announced by Mr Sunak… Read more

Support for entrepreneurs critical for post-Covid recovery – GEM

      Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report calls on policymakers to create right conditions for an enterprise-led economic recovery worldwide. Policymakers around the world must provide clear advice and practical support for entrepreneurs to ensure global economies recover from the devastation of coronavirus, a new report says. Presenting a snapshot of support measures introduced by… Read more

Diagnosing COVID-19 Impacts on Entrepreneurship – Exploring Policy Remedies for Recovery

The impact of policy decisions can play an important role in entrepreneurial success. A new GEM report: “Diagnosing COVID-19 Impacts on Entrepreneurship – Exploring Policy Remedies for Recovery”,  sponsored by Shopify, features over 50 GEM research teams around the world sharing how their government’s response to COVID-19 compared to previous crises and the entrepreneurship policy… Read more