• Enterprise Research Centre study shows higher numbers of fast-growing firms in a region can lead to net loss of jobs, especially in rural areas • But clusters of companies that combine job growth with productivity gains have a positive impact from ‘spillover’ effects • Policymakers need to be aware of trade-offs from promoting job… Read more

• Gig workers in the UK are twice as likely as the wider population to be in the early stages of setting up a business, largest global study of entrepreneurs finds • Sharp fall in entrepreneurship among BAME Britons and immigrants • Rise of crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending sees people increasingly willing to invest in “strangers with… Read more

Gender entrepreneurship gap to blame for one million ‘missing businesses’ Research, carried out by Global Entreneurship Monitor (GEM) experts based at Aston Business School in Birmingham, has been consulted as part of a government review The GEM research reveals that for every 10 male entrepreneurs in the UK, there are fewer than five female entrepreneurs… Read more

This week saw the launch of the latest results of the SME Finance Monitor, produced by BVA BDRC . In the first half of this year, it seems that financing behaviours have been shifting across the SME sector. This movement comes after a long period of relative stability. The survey responses add further colour to… Read more

The sixth annual ERC State of Small Business Britain Conference takes place today at The Shard in London. The conference, which this year is being held in partnership with the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), focuses on how we can strengthen key sectors of the UK economy. At the event we will present new comparative research… Read more

Europe-wide study on ‘shock-proof’ firms ahead of Brexit Two-year project will learn lessons from 3,000 of Europe’s most resilient firms to spread best practice Focus on under-represented groups will seek to understand how entrepreneurs overcome barriers With 70% of European jobs in SMEs, study is seen as vital pre-Brexit to cushion economic fallout A new… Read more

ERC research on high growth episodes and productivity forms part of the evidence base for the 4th Small Business Finance Markets report launched today by the British Business Bank.   

ERC staff and associates presented a number of papers at the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) conference in Belfast on November 8/9th. Four papers were among the best paper nominees in their respective conference tracks. ERC staff also led sessions on impact (at the PhD colloquium), policy and practice and contributed to a… Read more

The Midlands Graduate School is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), with the first intake of students to begin in October 2017. One of 14 such partnerships in the UK, the Midlands Graduate School is a collaboration between the University of Warwick, Aston University, University of Birmingham, University of Leicester,… Read more

Professor Mark Hart  attended a private dinner with the Minister for Employment Damian Hinds MP and Matthew Taylor (Chief Executive of the RSA) on Monday 27th February in London to discuss the topic of “Supporting self-employed people”.  The discussion was part of the Taylor Review which is an independent review for the Prime Minister into… Read more