Periodically concern is shown over the plight of small business in most of the industrial countries of the West. This concern has recently been voiced in Canada and monies were made available to investigate the position of small business in this country. The prime purpose of this study was to investigate the various government and private aids which it was felt could be of assistance to small business and to evaluate their effectiveness in assisting the small businessman in running his business. A secondary yet complementary aim was to determine what problems still faced small business. First a compendium of federal, provincial, municipal and private aids to business was compiled. This was produced by thorough review of annual reports of federal and provincial departments concerned and also by the thorough review of numerous government and private publications, brochures and pamphlets. To determine the effectiveness and usefullness of aids to small business in Canada a questionnaire was compiled and mailed to businesses in the three provinces of Nova Scotia, Ontario and Manitoba. Several very general conclusions may be made with respect to aids to small business in Canada. First, with one or two notable exceptions all forms of aids are directed to primary and secondary industry often with the specific exclusion of tertiary industry. Another discernible trend is that of the increased role the provincial governments are playing in assisting business. This is so even though both the federal and provincial governments have increased the scope of aid offered. The final conclusion with respect to aids to small business in Canada is that in general they are quite adequate. No major changes to the present system of aids to small business would appear desirable but there is evidence that improvements in financial aids, management education and management services, and the promotion of existing services would appear desirable. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

This study investigates successful small Canadian firms that export. Four factors are considered from a theoretical perspective as variables that have affected the success of these firms. Regimes define the international and national environment. State support is studied as a strategic factor at the domestic level. Networks are considered as both strategic and organizational factors at the firm level. The study of internal factors considers organizational capability and strategy at the firm level. / The empirical research was conducted through field studies and a questionnaire that was completed during an in-depth interview with the president, founder or principal officer of 21 firms in the cross-sectional sample (in Ontario and Quebec) and telephone interviews for the 13 firms in the supplementary sample (in Nova Scotia and British Columbia). All interviews in Ontario and Quebec were videotaped and case records were developed for each firm. Additional data are based on information from the Industry, Science, Technology (Canada) data bank and the researcher's observations of principal actors and operations of the sample firms. / A Technological Skill and Product Maturity Typology is developed to categorize firms into quadrants according to product maturity and technological sophistication. The typology has been designed as an analytical tool to categorize firms according to strategic focus. This typology provides a framework for the analysis of firm needs and for the evaluation of the usage and effectiveness of support programs by firms. / This study offers a typology for classifying firms by start-up mode: the entrepreneur with a classic start-up, with a spin-off, with an acquisition, and with experience in an established firm. Mode of start-up was not significantly associated with specific strategic sectors. Results suggest that the qualities of the entrepreneur responsible for successful start-up are imprinted on successful small firms. This entrepreneurism provides significant strategic advantage for firms competing in international markets. / The results of this study indicate that small firms in diverse industries, with very different products and strategic advantages can use entrepreneurial leadership, strategy, and innovation to take advantage of changing international regimes, favourable domestic factor conditions, and state support to compete successfully in international markets.(Abstract shortened by UMI.)

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It is widely believed that small and medium-sized enterprises ("SMEs"), acting as a source of innovation and job creation, play a key role in the economy of Canada. / The legal framework which regulates SMEs' activities is vast. This thesis focuses on the legal framework and most important aspects of three critical areas: financing, taxation and international trade. / After describing and interpreting the legal framework of these areas and the information obtained from public and private institutions which are considered key in these issues, this thesis presents conclusions in relation to the question of how and in what way, if any, the current legislative and regulatory framework relating to SMEs contributes to the growth and prosperity of SMEs and to the importance of such a framework to SMEs' success and growth.

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Knowledge-based businesses (KBBs) have the potential to make a significant contribution to peripheral regions with marginal economies, such as Newfoundland and Labrador. However, traditional lending approaches generally emphasize tangible collateral and historical performance. As a result, new knowledge-based firms, whose assets are primarily intangible, experience difficulty with access to financing. Financial institutions have responded by implementing specialized approaches to address the needs of KBBs. This exploratory study is designed to increase our understanding of institutional lending to KBBs, particularly at the start-up stage. Following a review of the literature a research framework was developed to explore the demand-side perspectives of entrepreneurs and the supply-side perspectives of lending institutions. A mail survey to entrepreneurs was employed to determine the roles played by chartered banks and government agencies in financing KBBs and to ascertain entrepreneurs' perceptions of financial institutions. Results indicate KBBs experience greater difficulty obtaining financing from chartered banks. Further, KBBs perceive banks to follow traditional risk assessment processes, emphasizing collateral. Findings suggest efforts by banks to cater to KBBs have been less than successful. Supply-side data were obtained from interviews with senior managers in banks and government agencies and from business plan reviews and follow-up interviews with account managers. Simultaneous verbal protocols were used to examine risk assessment processes in six banks and four government agencies. Hypothetical business proposals were presented to account mangers for initial review and subsequent due diligence. Data obtained at two stages of assessment were analyzed using consensus analysis, multidimensional scaling, hierarchical clustering, and standard multivariate techniques. Findings confirm chartered banks have establishcd specialized approaches to deal with KBBs. However, there is no evidence to indicate any differential effects on KBBs as a result of identified organizational variables. There is evidence among specialized account managers of differences in risk assessment of KBBs and of a common lending culture that reflects the needs of KBBs. Evidence of a common lending culture is also evident among traditional bankers and among government agencies that share an economic development mandate. Findings also confirm chartered banks are more concerned with financial aspects of the proposed ventures and perceived higher levels of risk than government account managers. Overall, findings provide important insights into institutional lending and have significant implications for theory, management practice and public policy. This study is one of very few to explore lending and borrowing from the perspective of KBBs and from the perspective of government agencies. Study validity is enhanced considerably by reviewing lending decisions in context and with reference to specific proposals. The use of cultural consensus theory to examine loan evaluation and risk assessment represents a significant contribution to understanding theory on lending to KBBs. Lending practices of chartered banks, while evolving to meet the needs of KBBs, have not met expectations and may need to be reexamined. Entrepreneurs in KBBs are advised to seek out KBB specialists to enhance the likelihood of obtaining financing. Government should take steps to ensure expertise is available to deal with KBBs and to encourage financial institutions, especially banks, to extend efforts to provide specialized assistance to the KBB sector. Finally, additional research is needed to confirm findings from this study and to increase their generalizability.

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