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Strapped for Cash? Funding for UK high growth SMEs since the global financial crisis

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  • Brown, Ross
  • Lee, Neil

Abstract

While high growth firms (HGFs) are crucial drivers of economic growth, to date there has been a dearth of research examining their funding requirements. Drawing on a survey of over 8,000 UK Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), this paper investigates the capital structure and access to credit in high growth SMEs in the period following the global financial crisis. The findings challenge conventional wisdom about high growth SMEs in certain respects. They find it no harder than non-high growth SMEs to access external finance. The vast majority of high growth SMEs rely strongly on debt-based finance for their funding, not equity finance. High growth SMEs are much less likely to seek finance for working capital purposes but are no more likely to seek finance to invest in R&D than less rapidly growing SMEs. The findings suggest little justification for government intervention aimed at increasing credit availability for HGFs as currently espoused by the UK government.

Suggested Citation

  • Brown, Ross & Lee, Neil, 2019. "Strapped for Cash? Funding for UK high growth SMEs since the global financial crisis," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 100013, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:100013
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    8. Roberta Kontosic Pamic & Adriana Galant, 2020. "Initial Financing of Croatian SMEs: Financial Reports Evidence," Managing Global Transitions, University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper, vol. 18(4 (Winter), pages 265-283.
    9. Marcin Kedzior & Barbara Grabinska & Konrad Grabinski & Dorota Kedzior, 2020. "Capital Structure Choices in Technology Firms: Empirical Results from Polish Listed Companies," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-20, September.
    10. Ross Brown & José M. Liñares-Zegarra & John O.S. Wilson, 2022. "Innovation and borrower discouragement in SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 1489-1517, December.
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    12. Andrey V. Fuzik, 2023. "Ограничительные Санкции, Их Влияние На Антикризисное Управление Промышленным Предприятием И Некоторые Направления По Преодолению Санкционного Кризиса," Russian Economic Development (in Russian), Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, issue 12, pages 34-41, December.
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    16. Erik Lundmark & Alex Coad & Julian S. Frankish & David J. Storey, 2020. "The Liability of Volatility and How it Changes Over Time Among New Ventures," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(5), pages 933-963, September.
    17. Sehrish Atif & Shehzad Ahmed & Muhammad Wasim & Bassam Zeb & Zeeshan Pervez & Lorraine Quinn, 2021. "Towards a Conceptual Development of Industry 4.0, Servitisation, and Circular Economy: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-27, June.
    18. Sheema Matloob & Mónica Lorena Sánchez Limón & Halia Mayela Valladares Montemayor & Ali Raza & Julio Cesar Castanon Rodriguez, 2023. "Does Strategic Change Enhance the Relationship between Firms’ Resources and SMEs Performance in Pakistan?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, January.
    19. Bertoni, Fabio & Colombo, Massimo G. & Quas, Anita, 2023. "The long-term effects of loan guarantees on SME performance," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    20. Luis Javier Garcia-Martinez & Sascha Kraus & Matthias Breier & Andreas Kallmuenzer, 2023. "Untangling the relationship between small and medium-sized enterprises and growth: a review of extant literature," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 455-479, June.
    21. Eggers, Fabian, 2020. "Masters of disasters? Challenges and opportunities for SMEs in times of crisis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 199-208.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurship; SMEs; Gazelles; Innovation; Access to finance; Policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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