Research partnership to boost mid size business
Wednesday 14 December 2016
The University of Salford Business School and MSBLeaders announce a partnership to support directors and boards of mid size business lead on growth and contemporary business issues.
There are an estimated 26,000 businesses in UK with turnovers of £10m-£100m, with only 6000 located in London and the majority located in regional centers. Mid size business (MSBs) employ 4.3 million people, contribute in excess of £300 billion to the UK economy every year and outperform the market in job growth and innovation.
Despite this, directors and boards of MSBs have significantly fewer resources to draw on than is available to their peers in small business and large enterprise – and have been under served by researchers, policy makers and advisors.
Salford Business School and MSBLeaders have recognised this gap and will embark on an ambitious research and development agenda to provide directors and boards of (specifically) mid size business with valuable resources to strengthen and grow their businesses sustainably.
MSBLeaders Founder and Chairman, Sarah McKenna, said: “Mid size businesses are the unsung heroes of the UK’s economic performance and reputation; globally innovating and locally creating jobs and investment. Their directors and boards have a tremendous responsibility to not only maintain this value, but also increase it in the face of new, complex issues and emerging opportunities.
“Yet many leaders of mid size business report a lack of resources to draw on when facing common issues and perhaps more critically, feel they have little support when it comes to harnessing opportunities for growth such as expansion and export.
“We are addressing this imbalance by providing MSB leaders with valuable and practical resources, tailored for them, to perform better. If successful we will positively impact the economy and people’s prosperity nationally and locally.”
Pete Radcliffe, Chair of the Liverpool Branch of the Institute of Directors said: “MSBs can make a disproportionate contribution to the planned and essential growth in the regional economies but need the additional expert support that should arise from the research being undertaken by MSBLeaders and the University of Salford Business School.
“It has been a neglected category of the business community, assumed to be able to develop almost unassisted and yet providing huge untapped potential.”
The University of Salford Business School and MSBLeaders will work together to address current and future growth and sustainability enablers of greatest impact and importance to mid size business leaders.
Professor David Spicer, Dean of the University of Salford Business School, said: “We know Directors and Boards of mid size business face different issues, compared with much smaller or larger businesses, and need to amplify their growth and strategy efforts. Therefore addressing a wide range of dynamic and constantly emerging, contemporary issues will be key to our work.
“This partnership embodies Salford Business School’s industry-led perspective. It will result in content and resources which will shape practices in the boardroom for the better and deliver unparalleled support for directors of mid size business.
“Research will commence with a national survey – the scale and nature of which makes it a UK first – producing an unprecedented range of high value information we intend to publish, share and use to inform leadership resources.”
Find out more
Sam Wood
0161 295 5361
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