Rural enterprise support: evaluation report

Footnotes

1. Integrated, placed based support hereafter referred to as rural enterprise support provided by Growbiz.

2. “The National Council of Rural Advisers recommended that a new approach to business support be developed to ensure that the true potential of the rural economy is realised. This year, we will test a place-based approach to integrated business support for micro-enterprises operating in rural areas, recognising the different challenges they face such as access to markets, connectivity issues and employment patterns. The new approach will deliver flexible support that is tailored to the needs of the business and its geographical location”. Scottish Government Protecting Scotland’s Future: the Government’s Programme for Scotland 2019-2020. p. 67

3. Scottish Government 2018, Understanding the Scottish rural economy: research paper.

4. Hamilton & Richmond 2016, Performance of Scotland’s small and medium sized businesses: insights from the Small Business Survey

5. Scottish Government (2015). Scotland’s Economic Strategy.

6. Ibid. pp. 7

7. Inclusive growth means that we aim to achieve economic growth in Scotland that is inclusive. This means growth that combines increased prosperity with greater equality, creates opportunities for all, and distributes the benefits of increased prosperity fairly. More information on inclusive growth can be found on the 'Growing the Economy' webpage.

8. National Records of Scotland Economic Action Plan 2019-20

9. Scottish Government, 2018. New blueprint for Scotland’s rural economy: recommendations to Scottish Ministers.

10. GVA is the economic measure used to describe the rural economy rather than GDP. More information on GVA can be found on the ONS Gross Value Added webpage.

11. Scottish Government, Health and wellbeing as fundamental as GDP.

12. National Records of Scotland Economic Action Plan 2019-20

13. The Economic Action Plan (EAP) was published after the National Council of Rural Advisers (NCRA) report and was an instrument to brigade activity together that delivered to Scotland’s economic strategy.

14. Scottish Government Protecting Scotland’s Future: the Government’s Programme for Scotland 2019-2020. P.67.

15. Scottish Government Protecting Scotland’s Future: the Government’s Programme for Scotland 2019-2020. P.67.

16. Scottish Parliament. Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee – Analysis of business support survey results. October 2018

17. SRUC 2019, Rural Report 2018/19: The impact of change on rural businesses 2017-2020.

18. In May 2016, the Scottish Government announced that they would reach 100% coverage for superfast broadband by the end of December 2021. There have been substantial improvements in the provision of superfast broadband in Scotland as a whole, with a fall in the number of ‘not spots’ – datazones with no superfast broadband – from 654 in 2015 to 52 in 2018, and full coverage in 54.2% of datazones, up from 21.9% in 2015. However, the improvements in rural areas have not occurred as quickly as improvements in urban areas, which in some cases reflects technical difficulties related to extending broadband to particularly remote areas.

19. SRUC 2019, Rural Report 2018/19: The impact of change on rural businesses 2017-2020

20. Scottish Government. Small Business Survey: 2019.

21. Scottish Government, Rural Scotland Key Facts 2021.

22. Gherhes, Wills, Vorley, & Vasconcelos (2016). Distinguishing micro-businesses from SMEs: a systematic review of growth constraints. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development.

23. Gherhes, Wills, Vorley, & Vasconcelos (2016). Distinguishing micro-businesses from SMEs: a systematic review of growth constraints. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development.

24. Steiner & Atterton 2014, The contribution of rural businesses to community resilience. Local Economy 29, no. 3: 228-244.

25. What works centre: Business Advice webpage.

26. What works centre: Business Advice Evidence Review 2

27. Rigby & Ramlogan 2013, The Impact and Effectiveness of Entrepreneurship policy. Nesta working paper no. 13/01.

28. As participants were asked to specify, other businesses listed included vehicle restoration, transport, cleaning services, health and exercise, performance sport, a driving instructor, community development, media and community hubs and facilities.

29. Sample varies by question. 74 people responded on one-to-one support, 38 responded to the question on mentoring, 80 responded to the question on peer learning, 40 had participated in peer support, 83 had participated in networking and 45 had participated in Women’s Enterprise events.

30. Common concerns listed as ‘other’ primarily referred to the participant’s health, challenges in marketing and pressure on time owing to other activities