Professor Monder Ram speaking on migrant entrepreneurship

Addressing the productivity challenges of microbusinesses

We are delighted to be part of a new research project funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) to investigate ways of addressing the productivity challenges facing microbusinesses.

Led by Professor Monder Ram from Aston University’s Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME), the principle objective of the project is to use scientifically rigorous academic research, co-produced with practitioners, to design and implement scalable policies to boost productivity by strengthening management practices in micro-businesses (with 1-9 employees). The project will focus on businesses owned and run by disadvantaged communities in the West Midlands, who are some of the 'toughest nuts to crack' in terms of business support for enhancing productivity.

The academic partners for this research are the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship, the Enterprise Research Centre and City-REDI. ACH are one of four non-academic partners, alongside the Bangladeshi Network, Citizens UK and Punch Records.

As a non-academic partner, ACH will benefit from acquisition of new detailed information on micro-businesses, which we can use to improve our service offer to these businesses and our employment partnerships.

Enterprise support is an important and growing part of our offer, as around 20% of our beneficiaries wish to start their own businesses. This project, which will begin in February 2019, is a welcome addition to this, and sits alongside the recently created role of Entrepreneurship Facilitator.

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