Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board
Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board
Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board
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"<br />
4"<br />
!<br />
!<br />
Xxxxx"<br />
<strong>The</strong>"Use"of"<strong>Legal</strong>"and"Related"<br />
<strong>Services</strong>""<br />
"<br />
"<br />
Navigating" the" ‘law" thick’" (Hadfield" 2010)" world" in" which" small" businesses"<br />
operate"can"provide"a"test"for"even"the"most"experienced"firms."<strong>Small</strong>"businesses"<br />
tend"to"have"a"narrower"range"of"internally"available"skills,"relatively"few"prior"<br />
encounters" with" justiciable" issues" upon" which" to" construct" protocols" (Asia"<br />
Consulting" Group" and" Policy" 21" 2008)," and" less" scope" to" purchase" specialist"<br />
services." <strong>The</strong>" informality" of" many" small"<br />
business"operations,"while"convenient"for"<br />
those" running" them" and" an" attraction" to"<br />
many" customers," can" also" result" in"<br />
breaches" of" regulations" (Harris" 2000)."<br />
A"broad"range"of"legal"<br />
services"is"available"to"<br />
small"businesses"!<br />
<strong>Small</strong>" businesses" are" also," more" generally," known" to" be" resistant" to" legal"<br />
regulations,"due"to"the"administrative"burdens"they"impose"(Blackburn"and"Hart"<br />
2002,"SBRC"2008)."This"is"particularly"apparent"in"respect"of"the"provisions"of"<br />
employment" legislation," about" which" employers" are" often" ignorant" (Bacon" and"<br />
Hoque"2005)."This"includes"the"Working"Time"Directive,"health"and"safety"and"<br />
the"minimum"wage"(Druker"et"al."2005)."<strong>The</strong>re"has"also"been"suggestion"that"sole"<br />
traders,"“with"business"responsibilities"only"to"themselves,"appear"more"willing"<br />
…"to"take"calculated"risks"in"terms"of"adherence"to"legislation"and"regulations."<br />
Any"risks"they"do"take"are"positioned"as"only"likely"to"affect"them”"(AIA"2010,"<br />
p.2)."<br />
Nevertheless," a" broad" range" of" legal" advice," representation" and" support"<br />
services"is"available"to"small"businesses."In"this"section,"we"provide"an"overview"<br />
of" these" services" and" then" set" out" findings" from" previous" studies" of" small"<br />
business"use"of"legal"services."<br />
"<br />
External!Advice!<br />
SMEs"often"seek"legal"advice,"which"is"often"embedded"within"wider"networks"of"<br />
external"advice"gathering."<strong>The</strong>"external"advice"sought"by"SMEs"can"emerge"from"<br />
a"variety"of"sources."This"can"include"the"substantial"series"of"flows"of"informal"<br />
information"and"signals"provided"by"customers,"colleagues"and"friends"through"<br />
informal"networks"(Burt"2007),"and"support"from"public"and"quasi]public"sector"<br />
organisations" (Johnson" et" al." 2007)." <strong>The</strong>" relationship" between" SMEs" and"<br />
external," formal" business" advice" providers," is" one" that" has" changed" over" time,"<br />
expanding" markedly" since" the" 1980s" (Bennett" and" Robson" 1999)." External"<br />
! 19!