Skills and labour shortages hinder rural business performance and growth NICRE’s latest State of Rural Enterprise Report Labour and skills availability: impacts on rural enterprise finds more than half of rural businesses in the North East, South West and West Midlands find it difficult to recruit or retain suitably-skilled staff, with a high proportion of… Read more
The Business Desk : Social Enterprises vital to post COVID-19 recovery Financial Times: Starting a business in the midst of a pandemic The Times: Number of new companies set up this year is likely to break record The Times: How small businesses can get one over the big boys in Zoom revolution IPSE: IPSE sets out… Read more
Economic Intelligence Wales commissioned the Enterprise Research Centre to analyse Productivity Heroes in Wales. The report, Productivity Heroes in Wales: who they are and why they matter authored by ERC Deputy Director Mark Hart , ERC Research Fellow George Paily and ERC associate Adam Hardy, finds that Wales has a smaller, but increasingly productive, cohort… Read more
Senior ERC Research Associate Neha Prashar was part of the collaborative research team contributing to this latest Design Council report. Since the last edition of Design Economy in 2022, the UK has faced significant economic,technological and geopolitical change. From inflationary pessures and energy insecurity to rapid advances in artificial intelligence andshifting global markets, organisations have… Read more
Place-based development has flown up the political agenda in recent weeks with the appointment of Andy Burnham as the UK Prime Minister. Local mayors are now being encouraged to lead their localities in redevelopment in the manner of Greater Manchester. But most British cities have been underperforming economically. According to the Centre for Cities, big… Read more
The latest episode of our Exploring Enterprise podcast series in collaboration with Business111.com has been published. ERC Director, Stephen Roper talks to Liz Barclay covering key aspects affecting Innovation in small business today. Innovation isn’t just technology. The innovation myth: Why Britain is overlooking its most creative businesses. Most people think innovation means science, technology and… Read more
If the promise of “good growth in every postcode” is going to mean anything, it has to start with the small and micro businesses. On Monday, Andy Burnham walked through the door of Number 10 as Britain’s new Prime Minister, promising “good growth in every postcode.” It’s exactly the pledge that small and micro businesses… Read more
ERC research on Late Payment ( SOTA No 70) authored by Rita Nana- Cheraa and Mark Hart was cited in a Government report card released on 15th July: Backing your business: Small Business Plan one year on – GOV.UK. One year on, the Government sets out areas where they are delivering for SMEs across the country – helping businesses boost cashflow,… Read more
On Tuesday June 16th we were at University of Warwick – Warwick Business School campus at The Shard co-hosting a workshop with the Office of the Small Business Commissioner and Department for Business and Trade: Prompt Payment for Small Firms: A Global Partnership. The session brought together a great group of experts, researchers and policymakers… Read more
On Wednesday June 3rd we were at the University of Warwick – Warwick Business School‘s campus at The Shard for our Research Showcase. At these events we bring together colleagues, partners and stakeholders to explore our latest research insights. The presentations explored themes of entrepreneurship, innovation and business growth, highlighting the mix of current research… Read more
In 2018, Rachel Reeves described the “everyday economy” as the ‘services, production, consumption and social goods that sustain all our daily lives’ (Reeves 2018). The term ‘everyday economy’ resurfaced in the new small business strategy published by the government last year (HMSO 2025). One chapter of the strategy focused specifically on SMEs as the ‘crucial… Read more
Business networking is often seen as a key pathway to entrepreneurial opportunities. Networking events, mentoring, learning hubs, and programmes all encourage entrepreneurs to build relationships, exchange knowledge, and access resources that support business development and growth. These spaces are often presented as open and inclusive, offering support to diverse entrepreneurs. But evidence from practice suggests… Read more
State of Rural Enterprise Report:
Skills and labour shortages hinder rural business performance and growth NICRE’s latest State of Rural Enterprise Report Labour and skills availability: impacts on rural enterprise finds more than half of rural businesses in the North East, South West and West Midlands find it difficult to recruit or retain suitably-skilled staff, with a high proportion of… Read more
COVID-19 Press coverage for the ERC
The Business Desk : Social Enterprises vital to post COVID-19 recovery Financial Times: Starting a business in the midst of a pandemic The Times: Number of new companies set up this year is likely to break record The Times: How small businesses can get one over the big boys in Zoom revolution IPSE: IPSE sets out… Read more
Productivity Heroes in Wales: who they are and why they matter
Economic Intelligence Wales commissioned the Enterprise Research Centre to analyse Productivity Heroes in Wales. The report, Productivity Heroes in Wales: who they are and why they matter authored by ERC Deputy Director Mark Hart , ERC Research Fellow George Paily and ERC associate Adam Hardy, finds that Wales has a smaller, but increasingly productive, cohort… Read more
Design Economy: Driving Good Growth across the UK
Senior ERC Research Associate Neha Prashar was part of the collaborative research team contributing to this latest Design Council report. Since the last edition of Design Economy in 2022, the UK has faced significant economic,technological and geopolitical change. From inflationary pessures and energy insecurity to rapid advances in artificial intelligence andshifting global markets, organisations have… Read more
Lessons on place-based development: A new agenda for Combined Authority Mayors
Place-based development has flown up the political agenda in recent weeks with the appointment of Andy Burnham as the UK Prime Minister. Local mayors are now being encouraged to lead their localities in redevelopment in the manner of Greater Manchester. But most British cities have been underperforming economically. According to the Centre for Cities, big… Read more
Exploring Enterprise Episode 25: Innovation in Small Business
The latest episode of our Exploring Enterprise podcast series in collaboration with Business111.com has been published. ERC Director, Stephen Roper talks to Liz Barclay covering key aspects affecting Innovation in small business today. Innovation isn’t just technology. The innovation myth: Why Britain is overlooking its most creative businesses. Most people think innovation means science, technology and… Read more
“Growth in Every Postcode”: A Scale-Up Target Measures the Wrong Thing
If the promise of “good growth in every postcode” is going to mean anything, it has to start with the small and micro businesses. On Monday, Andy Burnham walked through the door of Number 10 as Britain’s new Prime Minister, promising “good growth in every postcode.” It’s exactly the pledge that small and micro businesses… Read more
Backing Your Business: Small Business Plan, One Year On
ERC research on Late Payment ( SOTA No 70) authored by Rita Nana- Cheraa and Mark Hart was cited in a Government report card released on 15th July: Backing your business: Small Business Plan one year on – GOV.UK. One year on, the Government sets out areas where they are delivering for SMEs across the country – helping businesses boost cashflow,… Read more
Prompt Payment for Small Firms: A Global Partnership.
On Tuesday June 16th we were at University of Warwick – Warwick Business School campus at The Shard co-hosting a workshop with the Office of the Small Business Commissioner and Department for Business and Trade: Prompt Payment for Small Firms: A Global Partnership. The session brought together a great group of experts, researchers and policymakers… Read more
Research Showcase 2026
On Wednesday June 3rd we were at the University of Warwick – Warwick Business School‘s campus at The Shard for our Research Showcase. At these events we bring together colleagues, partners and stakeholders to explore our latest research insights. The presentations explored themes of entrepreneurship, innovation and business growth, highlighting the mix of current research… Read more
Rethinking the Everyday Economy: Why Improving “Average” Firms Matters Most
In 2018, Rachel Reeves described the “everyday economy” as the ‘services, production, consumption and social goods that sustain all our daily lives’ (Reeves 2018). The term ‘everyday economy’ resurfaced in the new small business strategy published by the government last year (HMSO 2025). One chapter of the strategy focused specifically on SMEs as the ‘crucial… Read more
Where Do I Fit In? Why Belonging Shapes Participation in Business Networking
Business networking is often seen as a key pathway to entrepreneurial opportunities. Networking events, mentoring, learning hubs, and programmes all encourage entrepreneurs to build relationships, exchange knowledge, and access resources that support business development and growth. These spaces are often presented as open and inclusive, offering support to diverse entrepreneurs. But evidence from practice suggests… Read more
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