Peter Johnson is Emeritus Professor of Business Economics in the Centre for Entrepreneurship at Durham University. He has published a wide range of studies on new and small firms. He has also taught small business economics at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

• 1. Introduction 2. Why Study Small Firms? 3. The Entrepreneurial Function 4. Setting Up in Business 5. Variations in Formation Activity 6. Survival and Growth 7. The Economic Role of Small Firms 8. Finance 9. Issues in Policy 10. Some Implications for Small Business Management

'Peter Johnson's wealth of experience in analysing small firms through an economics lens shines through in this book. It focuses on the key issues, cutting through the swathes of irrelevance that so often characterise entrepreneurship books, so as to produce a clear, crisp and accessible read for students and researchers alike.' - David Storey, Associate Dean Research & Director of Enterprise Group, Centre for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, Warwick Business School, The University of Warwick