Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Small Business and Entrepreneurship Research (SBER) Group

The group aims to bridge the theory-practice gap in order to create a positive impact on businesses, society and the economy.

The group conducts research to identify and address the needs of micro, small, medium and entrepreneurial firms. We focus on capacity building of businesses to enhance the social and economic development at the local, regional, national and international levels.

We are a group of highly skilled and experienced scholars with a broad range of knowledge, industry experience and strong links to industry and professional bodies.

Our Expertise

The group conducts research into the following core areas:

• Entrepreneurship and business failure
• Investigating the causes and factors that lead to enterprise and business failure.
• Entrepreneurship and Identity
• Exploring how social, cultural, political and economic identities shape entrepreneurship in the city/region, UK and globally.

• Small business management and growth
• Examining management and strategy challenges faced by smaller businesses and how they can be addressed to enhance survival and growth.

Our activities

To achieve our aim we embark on the following activities:

• Organise seminars to tap into the knowledge and expertise of experienced scholars and visiting research fellows to enhance research activities of members and postgraduate students
• Collaborate with entrepreneurs and industry experts to enhance research activities of members and postgraduate students
• Collaborate with local, regional, national and international businesses to enhance capacity building for social and economic development
• Work closely with the Centre for Entrepreneurship to enhance entrepreneurship education and research

Currently members of the Group are working on a number of research projects that have local, regional, national and international focus.

Some of the projects are:

• Liverpool, Music City - a placemaking approach to cultural policy
• Competitive dynamics of entrepreneurial family firms in North-West region
• Investigating the sustainability of the UK Coffee Shops and Cafés;
• Accessing capital for social enterprise led renewable energy
• A Systematic Multidisciplinary Review of Crowdfunding for Entrepreneurs
• Institutions, Trust and Managing Entrepreneurial Relationships in Africa
• Strategic Management and Growth of Medium Size Enterprises (MSEs) in Africa
• Trust in Trade Credit Relationships in Africa

Our Publications

Search publications from the academics within this research group

Our people

Other full members:

• Emma Robinson (Centre for Entrepreneurship)
• Amy Gerrard (Centre for Entrepreneurship)
• Jonathon Clark (Manager, LCR Activate)

Affiliates 

• Professor Kim Lehman (University of Tasmania)
• Associate Professor Ozge Gokbulut Izdemir, (Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara)
• Dr Kingsley Omeihi Obinna (Napier University, Edinburgh)
• Stephen Okoro (Leeds College of Building)
• Patrick Hurley (CEO, Inclusive Economy, Liverpool)
• Ted Rowlands (Evaluator of European Social and Regional Development Fund Programmes in Greater Manchester)

Programmes

Some of our members manage and teach on the MSc Entrepreneurship Programme at Liverpool Business School.

Contact us:

The research group is led by Dr. Isaac Oduro Amoako. Please contact us with regards to:

• Invitations for keynote speeches, presentations or workshops
• PhD applications in the area of entrepreneurship, small business management and social enterprise
• Research collaborations
• Capacity building for businesses

Please contact us via: I.O.Amoako@ljmu.ac.uk