Government agencies not doing enough to help: survey

New research is questioning the impact of Government agencies set up to help small business.

Massey University's Centre for Small and Medium Enterprise Research interviewed 47 small businesses in the manufacturing and service industries to find out what sort of assistance they used.

It found only 8.5 per cent had been helped by the Ministry of Economic Development, while 14.8 per cent had been helped by NZ Trade and Enterprise.

In contrast, 91 per cent said they had received help from accountants, 81 per cent from seminars and training, and 66 per cent from family.

The research found many people running small businesses lacked the time to look for help, either for specific problems or long-term planning.

Centre director Associate Professor Claire Massey, one of the authors of a report based on the research, said some small businesses tended to lump all Government agencies together.

Government agencies such as NZTE and the ministry offered useful services, but the research showed they needed to worker harder.

More than 60 per cent of New Zealand businesses had no employees, being either one-person enterprises or family run.

These were the very people who needed access to all forms of assistance available, Massey said.

- NZPA