Narrative Interplay in the Discovery of SME Fundamental Constraints to Growth

Abstract

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are vital economic engines in the global economy. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), U.S. SMEs dominate 99.7% of employer firms; generate 64% of private sector jobs; and 44% of total payroll (Ahluwalia et al., 2017). More directly, they improve the health of their immediate regional economic and social well-being. Scholar-practitioners with the aim to better understand the critical indicators influencing SMEs' readiness for growth continues to investigate factors encouraging or prohibiting growth. Many of these well-recognized indicators of scalable qualities include company financial indicators, access to capital, and the characteristics of the founders themselves