What do SMEs expect from Business Schools?

In the April 2014 Business Barometer survey, our panel of UK small business owners and business advisers were asked about their awareness of and engagement with their local Business School. The responses from small business owners were as follows: Business Schools are being encouraged to be more closely engaged with the local business community. To …

What do SMEs know about Local Enterprise Partnerships?

In the March 2014 Business Barometer survey, our panel of UK small business owners and business advisers were asked what they know about Local Enterprise Partnerships. The responses from small business owners were as follows: Are you aware of Local Enterprise Partnerships?  Yes 61.3% No 27.5% Not sure 11.3%   Do you know which Local …

Can you learn entrepreneurship?

Guest blog by MSc Entrepreneurship student, Daniel Wallis. This blog follows on from Liz Radice’s blog posted on 14th April 2014. When asked about my degree and I respond with “Entrepreneurship”, people are often confused and say “Is that a thing? Can you even learn it? Surely you’re born with it?” or “Oh, so like …

Launching New Ventures at Nottingham University Business School

Guest blog by Liz Radice, Director at Backstage Balkans Ltd. Liz studied Serbian and Croatian Studies at The University of Nottingham and now runs her business out of the Business School’s EnterpriseLab. Liz recently spoke to students taking the Launching New Ventures module as part of the MSc Entrepreneurship course at Nottingham University Business School. …

National Minimum Wage vs Living Wage

In the February 2014 Business Barometer survey, our panel of UK small business owners and business advisers were asked about the effects of a potential rise in National Minimum Wage on their businesses and the feasibility of paying employees the higher living wage. The responses from small business owners were as follows: George Osborne has …

Growth 100: Business owners in the classroom

Research Associate, Jeannie Holstein, comments on the Growth 100 programme so far. The first cohort of the Growth 100 programme, delivered by The University of Nottingham’s Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and designed to give 100 Nottingham-based owners and directors the knowledge and skills to help them expand their businesses, has just graduated, and it seems an …

Invest to Lead with Nottinghamshire Healthcare

The Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is teaching the Ingenuity Process to 400 Nottinghamshire Healthcare staff as part of their Invest to Lead programme. Invest to Lead is designed in the interests of improving the quality of services, productivity and the patient/service user and carer experience. The programme is for anyone who is …

Late payments and small businesses

In the January 2014 Business Barometer survey, our panel of UK small business owners and business advisers were asked about the frequency of late payments made by customers as well as the businesses’ ability to pay suppliers on time. The responses from small business owners were as follows: Over the last six months, how has …

The role and influence of women entrepreneurs in (UK) society today

Written by Dr Janine Swail. As a researcher of women’s entrepreneurship at the Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and on the eve of International Women’s Day, I could not think of a better time to reflect on the role and influence of women entrepreneurs in (UK) society today. My work explores the decision-making …

Confidence in the future of business among UK SMEs

In the December 2013 Business Barometer survey, our panel of UK SMEs and business advisers were asked about confidence levels in investing in the future of business. We also asked a set of trends questions to gauge how situations have changed over the last 3 months. The responses from UK SMEs on business confidence were …