Thesis (MTech (Cost and Management Accounting))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa are perceived to be failing partly due to ineffective management practices. Using a questionnaire survey, this study sought to determine the inventory-management practices of SMMEs operating in the Cape Metropole, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the inventory-management practices currently used by these entities. In addition, the study sought to determine the challenges, if any, that are experienced by SMMEs from the inventory-management practices currently used. This study was motivated by a dearth of research on inventory-management practices of SMMEs. The findings of the study revealed that most of the SMMEs used ‘Rule of Thumb’ as an inventory-management practice. Regarding the effectiveness of the practices used, the study revealed that the SMMEs investigated were perceived to be moderately effective, with SMMEs practising good inventory management techniques such as warehousing, stocktaking, budgeting, good ordering habits and segregation of warehouse duties. In relation to the challenges faced by SMMEs from the inventory-management practices currently used, the findings suggested that theft, shortage of inventory, errors due to incompetent staff, physical inventory not matching up with records and an inability to keep up with the demand of the customers were some of the main challenges faced. This study contributes to the literature on inventory-management practices of SMMEs and fills the gap of knowledge in this neglected area of research. The findings of this study are of significance to the decision-makers of SMEs as they will be enlightened on the best practices and different inventory-management practices that are vital for their businesses’ survival and that have been adopted by their competitors. This should enable them to evaluate their own inventory-management practices and to decide whether to improve, change or continue with their current practice. The South African Government could also draw on the findings of this research to inform its future intervention strategies meant to improve the survival rates of these entities. This could be in the form of the creation of short courses meant to assist SMMEs to improve their inventory-management practices.

M.B.A. / Since the first democratic elections of April 1994, the government of South Africa has been grappling with a wide range of social and economic development issues. The development and promotion of small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) is one of these critical issues. This is seen as vital for job creation, income generation and the promotion of sustainable and equitable economic growth. It is the view of government that the SIVIME sector also deserves attention because it has been neglected in the past. It is also widely acknowledged that SMMEs play a vital role in absorbing labour, penetrating new markets and expanding the economy in creative and innovative ways. The stated general objective by the government was the need to create an enabling environment in which small businesses would flourish. There was an intensive process of consultations with key stakeholders on the SMME sector. This took the form of the 1994 White Paper (discussion paper) on Strategies for the Development of an Integrated Policy and Support Programme for Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprises in South Africa, the President's Conference on Small Business in 1995 and the Second National Conference on Small Business in 1997. The highlight of these efforts was the enabling of the institutional support framework via the National Small Business Act of 1996 which aimed at providing a supportive environment for small business development. Several institutions were created under this act at national, provincial and local levels with the following aims and objectives: To coordinate the overall national policy on small business development. To mobilize the maximum involvement by all stakeholders. To facilitate the provision of financial and non-financial support services. In general, to represent the interests of the SMME sector. The aim of this study was to investigate how effective the government policy on the development and promotion of small business has been. The focus was the Northern Province, one of the nine provinces in South Africa. The researcher was specifically interested in looking at the establishment of the institutional framework at provincial and local government level, whether the products developed for small business support have been well-marketed to the SMME sector and whether the small business sector was benefiting from these products. There were three main aspects to the conduct of the study. Government officials in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Northern Province were interviewed. Institutions that have been set up to provide support services to small business were also visited and officials at these institutions were also interviewed. Further information was obtained from existing documentation at the DTI and from the institutions offering support services to small business. A survey of the SMME sector in the Northern Province was conducted. A designed questionnaire was presented to a representative sample of small businesses. The data obtained from interviews and existing documentation has been summarized descriptively. The data from the questionnaires has been analysed statistically. Graphical illustrations have been used to enhance the presentation. Conclusions, recommendations and some final reflections are also included.

D. Comm. / Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) form the majority of enterprises in the South African economy. The South African government has identified the SMME sector as one of the potential enablers to achieve its objectives of improving job creation opportunities, reducing poverty and creating a more equitable distribution of wealth.

The Small Businesses Loans Act was designed to increase the flow of funds for capital purposes from the banking system to small firms in the Canadian economy. This study examines the need for this legislation. The major sources of funds for small business are discussed and the question of the adequacy of these financing facilities is considered. This part of the study concludes that the 'MacMillan Gap' in Canada has been narrowed in the post-war period, but not yet closed. The study then examines the effectiveness of the Small Businesses Loans Act in bridging the remaining gap. The legislation, and the record of borrowing under the Act are reviewed. Particular attention is directed to the effects of monetary policy on the volume of lending under this Act. The study also includes an examination of the experience of a sample of borrowers, their characteristics, the purposes for which loans were obtained and banking practices with respect to this lending program. The conclusions of the study suggest that the Small Businesses Loans Act has fulfilled a useful role in improving the financial facilities available to small business despite a number of deficiencies in the legislation. It is also suggested however that the need for this legislation has largely been removed by recent amendments to the Bank Act. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

In 2012, only 50% of Irish small firms survived in business for more than 5 years. The purpose of this qualitative, explorative case study was to explore strategies some Irish small firm owners use to succeed in business beyond 5 years. The case population consisted of 3 small business owners operating in Lucan, County Dublin, Ireland who had been managing a profitable small business venture beyond 5 years from beginning operations. The conceptual framework was the competitive theory of entrepreneurial orientation. Data collection included semistructured interviews with the 3 participants, which also involved member checking and triangulation with business documents to strengthen credibility and trustworthiness of interpretations. Three broad themes emerged after completing a 5-stage qualitative data analysis: an embedded and consistent entrepreneurial attitude, internal management of firm-specific dynamics, and management of external elements affecting the business' operating environment. The firms' owners developed schemes to counter the effects of consumers' lower purchasing power from economic downturns by enabling customers to purchase products through flexible financing arrangements. The findings of this study may contribute to positive social change by informing the efforts of small business owners to sustain their operations beyond the first 5 years. Increasing the rate of business success can lead to employment of more people, better standards of living for employees, and concomitant benefits for their communities.

With over 11.6 million establishments, women owned small businesses hold a crucial part in supporting the US economy’s wellbeing. However, owning a small business comes with numerous challenges that not all can overcome. This study investigates the challenges of ten women-owned small businesses in Johnson City, Tennessee. The interview results display that women struggle with similar challenges as men; however, they have more difficulty balancing gender roles and societal expectations with owning a small business. This research concludes that men and women do not have equal opportunities when it comes to owning a small business and women are at a disadvantage in specific areas.

Glassjar Limited produces cloud based software for tenants and landlords to manage their rental properties and finances. This project focused on implementing the Glassjar business plan in the lead up to the product’s launch at the end of the project period. The report summarises the planning processes involved in the project, reports the results and makes comparisons between the two.

This work represents a socio-legal inquiry into the development of KSA SMEs and their interconnections with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreements, examining on one level, KSA SMEs within the Saudi economy in relation to relevant KSA legislative, administrative and organisational affairs. The study found the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a positive attitude towards supporting and developing SMEs through public and private initiatives.  However, shortcomings, mainly in the form of burdensome financial technicalities, were identified in the country’s efforts to promote SMEs. On another level, 93 KSA exporting SMEs were surveyed, by quantitatively evaluating the effects on the sector caused by the Kingdom’s accession to the WTO and qualitatively examining the actual effects of WTO rules on such firms. It was found that although the SMEs that were surveyed with regard to the Kingdom’s accession to the WTO have generally agreed that such accession was beneficial, a majority recognised that certain WTO related obstacles exist, while another high percentage of surveyed SMEs raised concerns about standards and specification issues within international trade. Moreover, the thesis attempted a classification and hypothetical analysis of identified standards issues discovered while the survey was conducted in relation to the WTO standards Agreements and relevant dispute resolution cases. The work concludes by providing possible suggestions in the form of legal remedies to help KSA exporting SMEs to overcome their difficulties.  This consists mainly in the harmonisation of standards and technical regulations and their mutual recognition through the application of the equivalence principle in Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) and in particular within the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) Agreement.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master in Technology: Marketing, Technikon Natal, 2000. / This research has aimed to explore the impact of clustering on the ability of small manufacturers in the clothing industry in Port Elizabeth to enhance their competitiveness. The research study was conducted in two stages, which included both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Firstly, an exploratory qualitative study using the Delphi method was employed to identify the key problems currently being experienced by small manufacturers in the clothing industry. Finally, the application of a structured questionnaire to small manufacturers in the clothing industry followed, exploring the awareness of and interest in clustering as a strategy for enhancing competitiveness. A key observation to emerge from the qualitative research is that significant differences were evident between the responses of academics, professionals in small business development and small business owners. An analysis of the problems experienced by small manufacturers in the clothing industry revealed that high labour costs and low I productivity were the frontrunners. The lack of knowledge was cited as the most important problem preventing the wide scale implementation of horizontal clustering. Another key observance to emerge from the quantitative study is the fact that very few significant differences are evident between the two groups viz. small business owners and experts. The research indicated that although in the minority, horizontal linkages exist between small clothing manufacturers in Port Elizabeth. The results indicated furthermore that the majority of small clothing manufacturers in Port Elizabeth are / M

This paper investigates the prevailing financing models that are used to finance microbusinesses in developing economies with the objective of adapting one of these models for use within the South African context. Using India, Brazil, Ghana and Kenya as case studies the current successful microfinancing models and their advantages and disadvantages in these countries are assessed. The results indicate that microleasing is a possible effective financing model that can be used to finance microbusinesses in South Africa. Furthermore, possible ways of addressing microleasing shortfalls are explored in the paper, by drawing on the suitable features of financing innovations developed in the other developing economies. Most importantly, it was also found that the government, donors and the private sector have a significant role to play in order to encourage further development of the nascent microfinance industry in South Africa.