Enterprise Support Service Client
Survey 2012
Small Business Startups in South Kerry
2008-2010
Background
• South Kerry Development Partnership Limited Strategic Plan 2011 – 2013
• Goal 3: Develop and sustain strategies to increase local self employment
prospects
• Enterprise Support Service
•Business Advice
•Business Planning
•BTWEA
•Enterprise Training
•Mentoring Support
•Networking
•Partnership
Aim of Survey
• How are the small businesses that were set up in 2008, 2009 and 2010 doing
in the current market place
• How useful / relevant was the Enterprise Support Service provided by South
Kerry Development Partnership
• What can we learn from the experiences of these small businesses – current
market place role of South Kerry Development Partnership
Methodology
Telephone Survey
254 enterprises contacted in total
159 completed surveys
Response rate = 63%
Non-respondents
•Non-contactable: Each enterprise called 3 times before being declared
‘non-respondent’
•Declined to participate
Gender
Gender Profile of Survey Respondents n=159
Female
18%
Male
82%
Year Back to Work Enterprise
Allowance received?
n=159
59%
60
50
35%
40
30
20
6%
10
2008
2009
2010
Short-term Allowance or Long Term
Allowance?
n=159
Short-Term
19%
Long-Term
81%
Are you still trading?
Are you still trading? n=159
No
22%
Yes
78%
Business Sectors
• Arts
• Mechanics
• Construction / Trades
• Environmental Services
• Professional Services
• Food & Catering
• Hair & Beauty
• Healthcare
• Manufacturing
• Retail
• Transport
• Alternative Therapies
• Alternative Energies
• Equine
• Fish Farming
• Entertainment
• Tourism
In last year of trading, was your annual
turnover…
Turnover in last year of trading. n= 159
59%
60
50
40
21%
30
12%
20
8%
10
Under €10,000
Between
€10,000 and
€20,000
Between
€20,001 and
€30,000
Over €30,000
Staff Employed?
Yes
10%
No
90%
Number of Staff Employed?
• 11 businesses employ 1 staff member each
• 4 businesses employ 2 staff members each
• 1 business employs 19 staff members
•Mixtures of part-time and full time staff
How is your business doing today?
Responses from businesses still trading (124 in total)
48%
28%
10%
10%
3%
Struggling a lot
Struggling a little
Getting by
Performing reasonably
well
Performing extremely
well
Perception of business sector?
Perception of Business Sector n=124
48%
50
45
36%
40
35
30
16%
25
20
15
10
5
Declining
Stagnant
Growing
Critical factors for a successful
business
Factor
Ranking
Accessing finance for day to day activities
1
Having relevant knowledge about the sector
2
Having prior experience
3
Having sufficient sales/income to cover costs
4
Having relevant enterprise training
5
Cost of supplies/materials
6
Finding time to develop a strategy for our enterprise
7
Sourcing good suppliers
8
Accessing finance for capital expenditure
9
Recruiting the right employees
10
Dealing with bureaucracy/paperwork
11
Do you plan to expand your business
in the next two years? N=124
Do not know
5%
Yes
39%
No
56%
Reasons for planning to expand?
• Believe business is working
• Demand for business
• Optimise growth and income opportunities
Reasons why not?
• Not enough demand
• Lack of investment income
Have you received support in these
areas?
Support Received
Developing a Business Plan
Accessing Capital Finance
Applying for BTWEA
Enterprise Training Finance
General advice and information about setting up a business
Mentor Support
No of Respondents
122
%
98
36
29
121
4
121
121
98
3
98
98
Rating of how useful support was?
100
0%
0%
0%
3%
100%
97%
90
80
70
80%
60
50
100%
100%
94%
not applicable
reasonably useful
40
very useful
30
extremely useful
20
20%
10
6%
0
Developing a
business plan
Accessing
capital
finance
Applying for
the back to
work
enterprise
allowances
Training
finances
General
advice and
information
about setting
up a business
Mentor
supports
Are there other areas you would have
liked to have received support in?
N = 124
Yes
28%
No
72%
Areas for further support mentioned
• As business is being set up
– More grants (accessing finance)
– More 1-2-1 support
– Regular mentoring support
– Advertising and insurance help
Areas of support required now?
Those still in business. N=124
No
48%
Yes
52%
Supports required now mentioned
(those still in business)
•
•
•
•
•
Accessing finance and grants
Advertising support
Mentoring
Help with Accounts, tax etc
Extension of scheme
Businesses no longer in Operation
Approximately how many months
were you trading?
Approximately how many months were you trading?
Total businesses no longer in operation = 35
43%
45
40
35
30
25
20%
20
15
9%
10
5
9%
6%
3%
5 Months
3%
7 Months
3%
9 Months
12 Months
15 Months
16 Months
3%
18 Months
21 Months
3%
24 Months
36 Months
Reasons for no longer trading
• No demand
• Economic downturn
• Personal reasons
• High operating costs
Are there any supports that you feel would have helped your business to
succeed if you’d been able to access them?
Total = 35
71%
80
70
60
50
40
26%
30
3%
20
10
Yes
No
Do not know
Current employment status
What is your current employment status? Total = 35
66%
70
60
50
40
30
17%
9%
20
6%
3%
10
Employed full-time
Employed part-time
Unemployed
Self Employed
Full-time
education/training
Would you consider self-employment
again?
Would you consider self-employment again? Total = 35
No
23%
Yes
77%
Concluding Points
• Findings are positive
• Over three-quaters still in business – Despite
recession
• Knowing your sector is critical to the success
of the business
• Access to finance for day-to-day activities is
critical
• Reasons for no longer trading – no demand or
economic downturn
• 77% would go back into self employment
• Majority of respondents found support from
South Kerry Development Partnership Ltd to
be extremely useful
• Further/ongoing support in relation to
accessing finance/managing accounts and
liaising with enterprise officer and mentor
identified as important