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Information and the Small Manufacturing Firm

There has been a dramatic increase in interest in small businesses in Britain in recent years. The growing concern with the creation of employment opportunities has produced a marked shift in political philosophy, and the amount of assistance available to help small businesses has increased substantially. Apart from assistance for small firms, the pace of change in the business world has increased considerably in other directions also. New markets, materials and processes; increasing rates and taxes; volatile and more expensive labour; greater mobility of suppliers and customers — all these and more combine to present rapidly changing trading conditions. No longer can the manager rely on his own experience to arrive at optimum decisions. He must turn to sources of information and advice outside the firm. New and young firms especially are struggling to establish themselves in the market place, but even the older firms are finding conditions so changeable that new plans and products are continually needed to maintain a stable trading position. The report “Information And The Small Manufacturing Firm”, a summary of which follows, represents the results of a two-year search for answers to the following questions: (1) Are small businesses aware of the various sources of assistance, and do they receive the information they need? (2) Does the small firm have the information it needs? (3) Or is there a communication gap which places the small firm at a disadvantage? Additionally, the research produced substantive insights into the information needs of small firms.