The majority of enterprises in industrial sector are micro and small indicates that established enterprises find it difficult to grow to the next stages of middle and large scale industries and hence contribute less to the economy due to the existence of so many business constraints in the sector. In academic literature, yet relatively little is known and emphasized about growth of these enterprises. Thus, critical assessment of on growth and constraints of enterprises is needed. This book, therefore, examines the extent to which the growth potential of MSEs is linked with the constraints on a total of 224 sampled enterprises. To investigate this both descriptive and econometric analysis were employed. Regarding an econometric analysis three sets of models were utilized: the principal component, multiple regression and logistic regression analyses. The analysis and findings of this work should help shed some light on small business sector as unexplored pathway to growth and an effective weapon for poverty reduction, and should be especially useful to professionals in such field of study. Besides it helps anyone else who may have a stake on the small business development.

Ugandan micro- and small enterprises (MSEs) still perform poorly. The paper utilizes data collected in Uganda in March and April 2003 to analyze the business constraints faced by these MSEs. Using a stratified random sampling, a sample of 265 MSEs were interviewed. The study focuses on the 105 manufacturing firms that responded to all questions. It examines the extent to which the growth of MSEs is associated with business constraints, while also controlling for owners' attributes and firms' characteristics. The results reveal that MSEs' growth potential is negatively affected by limited access to productive resources (finance and business services), by high taxes, and by lack of market access.

The World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Research Institute, and the Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID), in collaboration with researchers affiliated with the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), recently conducted a study on Africa s domestic enterprises to improve the understanding of the constraints micro and small enterprises in Africa face in improving productivity and expanding their markets. In Africa, there are stark performance gaps between domestically owned enterprises and foreign-owned enterprises in terms of sales performance, productivity, and ability to reach distant markets. Among others, size appears to be a dominant factor in explaining the gap. Against this background, the study analyzes how naturally formed industrial clusters concentrations of enterprises engaged in same or closely related industrial activities in specific locations could potentially mitigate constraints Africa s micro and small enterprises face and enhance their business performance. The study is one of the first comprehensive quantitative inquiries on industrial clusters in Africa. The analysis specifically focuses on the role of spontaneously grown clusters of light manufacturing industries based on a set of original case studies of industrial clusters conducted for this research project. One of the key findings from the case studies was that cluster-based micro and small enterprises are performing better than similar micro and small enterprises outside of the clusters in terms of sales performance and ability to reach distant markets. Market access is a leading reason for cluster-based enterprises to choose their current locations. However, cluster-based enterprises face another set of unique growth constraints. By the very nature of spontaneous agglomera tion, new enterprises continue to flow to the clusters seeking the profit opportunities and better access to markets at such locations. The result can be intense competition in addition to increased congestion. Space constraints often impede growth within clusters. The lack of alternative locations available for industrial activities in the same cities, generic infrastructure bottlenecks, and unclear zoning policies and their unpredictable changes limit firms location choices and constrain their mobility. While competition should improve efficiency, lack of capacity among those competing cluster-based enterprises to invest and innovate does not generate growth out of the competition. The vast majority of naturally formed clusters of light manufacturing industries in Africa are still at a survival level, where agglomeration externalities are only limited to expand quantity but not quality as we observe in more advanced innovation-oriented clusters in elsewhere in the world. Existing studies on such natural industrial clusters in Africa have found that the lack of managerial skills among entrepreneurs running micro and small enterprises is a major constraint for innovation and growth in the clusters. As a part of this study, pilot managerial skills training programs were conducted in two industrial clusters on an experimental basis, where a group of randomly selected entrepreneurs within the clusters were given three-week long crush course of based management such as bookkeeping, marketing, business planning, and production management. The impact evaluation of the experiments showed significant positive impacts of the training programs on value added and gross profits of enterprises. Raising the current survival-type industrial clusters, which have been formed as a coping mechanism to weak investment climate, into more dynamic innovating clusters will be an important avenue for fostering growth of micro and small enterprises in Africa. While national efforts to improve investment climate and investments in human capital are undoubtedly important, there could be more targeted policies to be formulated, in complementing general policies, to support growth of micro and small domestic enterprises using existing industrial clusters as a natural springboard for their growth. In that context, the study discusses the merit of cluster-based managerial human capital development to build steps toward more innovation-oriented clusters, the importance of sound spatial planning policy, particularly at the local level in the context of urban planning, the need to expand market access and economic linkages for industrial clusters including regional integration and linkages with large enterprises.

Abstracts of papers presented during a seminar.

Academic Paper from the year 2020 in the subject Economics - Micro-economics, grade: A, , language: English, abstract: The micro and small business sector is recognized as an essential component of economic development and a crucial element in the effort to lift countries out of poverty. External and internal factors are known to affect the growth of MSEs. The most important external factors influencing growth of MSEs include access to finance, competition, limited production/market place, lack of market for the product or service; and other barriers to trade. The aim of this study was to assess challenges and opportunities of youth small micro enterprises /SMEs/development in boditi town in generally but specifically it helped to identify challenges of youth small micro enterprises /SMEs/ development in boditi town, indicate the opportunities of youth small micro enterprises /SMEs/ development in boditi town and explain who were responsible bodies to sole those challenges in small micro enterprises /SMEs/ development. In this study both qualitative and quantitative method were employed. Cross-sectional study design was employed in line with sampling method which is purposive. Based on Yamane formula totally 394 respondents participated in this study through using employed methods such as in depth interview, key informant interview, FGD to collect qualitative data in detail and survey method to collect quantitative data through employing instruments such as interview guideline, checklists, questioners etc. with audio recorder, note pads and camera. Data analyzed both qualitative and quantitative way and finding states that many challenges including skills and financial gaps and others but this limited with opportunities delivered from town administration and others stake holders. This includes. Providing youth revolving fund in form of loans and work places by municipality for youth SMEs. Also those and NGOs work in town to solve those pronouncing challenges for development of youth SMEs.

Micro and Small enterprises (henceforth, MSEs) play a key role in economic growth and industrial development of a country. They make vital contributions in improving economic and social sectors of a country through stimulating large scale employment, investment, development of indigenous skill and technology, promotion of entrepreneurship and innovativeness, enhancing exports, and also building an industrial base at different scales. However, Ugandan micro and small enterprises (MSEs) still perform poorly as a result of a combination of factors ranging from internal to external factors. The paper relies on data collected from selected MSEs for the period of October 2011 to February 2012 in Mbarara municipality. Using a stratified random sampling, a sample of 60 MSEs were surveyed. These included fabrication industry, Milling industry, carpentry and small roadside shops. The paper examines the extent to which the growth of MSEs is associated with environmental constraints. The results reveal that MSEs' growth potential is negatively affected by limited access to productive resources (finance and business services), by high taxes, lack of market access, erratic and costly electricity, lack of infrastructure, lack of human resources, and competitive practices that were dysfunctionally imitative rather than innovative.