• Preface Part I Introduction 1 Analysing the small business enterprise 2 The small firms relational database Part II Statistical analysis 3 The typical small business enterprise 4 Cost curves and scale economies 5 Rankings data on financial inception Part III Case studies 6 Enterprise profiles 7 Competitive and defensive strategies 8 The forces of competition Part IV Econometrics 9 Staying in business 10 Pricing asymmetries 11 Growth and its determinants Part V Political economy 12 Small firms and fair trade 13 Perceptions of the enterprise culture Part VI Conclusion 14 A small firms research agenda

`The book is rich in ideas and insight, and will be useful for reference. ... is accessible and lucidly written, ... Any economist with a shelf of books on small firms has to add this one.' - The Business Economist Vol 25 No 1 93`... a book combining empirical research, economic analysis and theory for SMEs is very welcome. And for a book of this quality, it is an event.' - Graham Bannock, Economic Affairs`With the publication of this book and the bold research agenda he proposes Reid single handedly moved the entire field of small business economics forward towards maturity.' - David B. Audretsh, Kyklos`Professor Reid is almost religious in his drive to persuade researchers to gather primary data, and devise estimation techniques to advance the frontiers of small business economics. With this I can hardly quibble. To my knowledge this is the finest work of its kind. It fills an important niche in our understanding of small firms, and the effort has to be judged a success.' - The Journal of Economic Literature