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Do Rural Firms Perceive Different Problems? Geography, Sorting, and Barriers to Growth in UK SMEs

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  • Neil Lyee

    (Department of Geography and Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, England)

  • Marc Cowling

    (Brighton Business School, Moulescoomb, Brighton BN2 4AT, England)

Abstract

Support for small businesses is often delivered separately for urban and rural areas, based on the idea that the barriers to business growth differ geographically. Yet firms in rural and urban areas will also differ in their characteristics, and these may be more important influences on firm growth than location. In this paper we test whether firms in urban, semirurals, and rural areas perceive each of eight obstacles to their success differently, based on a large sample of UK SMEs. After controlling for selection effects, rural and semirural firms are more likely to perceive regulation as a problem while rural firms are more likely to see the economy as an obstacle to success. We also find some evidence that skills shortages may be more acute for rural firms, once selection effects are controlled for. The results provide only limited support for geographically differentiated policy for small businesses.

Suggested Citation

  • Neil Lyee & Marc Cowling, 2015. "Do Rural Firms Perceive Different Problems? Geography, Sorting, and Barriers to Growth in UK SMEs," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 33(1), pages 25-42, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:33:y:2015:i:1:p:25-42
    DOI: 10.1068/c12234b
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. David Pickernell & Christine Atkinson & Christopher Miller, 2015. "Guest Editorial," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 33(1), pages 4-8, February.
    3. Vivien Lefebvre, 2021. "Business group affiliation in rural contexts: Do small firms grow faster through working capital management?," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(4), pages 2453-2476, December.
    4. Robert Lee & Eleanor Shaw, 2016. "Bourdieu’s non-material forms of capital: Implications for start-up policy," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 34(8), pages 1734-1758, December.
    5. Ian Merrell & Anita Füzi & Emma Russell & Gary Bosworth, 2021. "How rural coworking hubs can facilitate well-being through the satisfaction of key psychological needs," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 36(7-8), pages 606-626, November.
    6. Johan Karlsson, 2021. "Firm size and growth barriers: a data-driven approach," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1319-1338, October.
    7. Torres de Oliveira, Rui & Nguyen, Tam & Liesch, Peter & Verreynne, Martie-Louise & Indulska, Marta, 2021. "Exporting to escape and learn: Vietnamese manufacturers in global value chains," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(4).

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