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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<strong>The</strong>" core" database" can" be" supplemented" with" the" Professional" Contacts"<br />
Database," which" contains" 4.5" million" named" individuals" with" titles" across" the"<br />
Dun"&"Bradstreet"Database."However,"it"is"not"specified"if"these"named"contacts"<br />
are"evenly"distributed"across"all"the"included"businesses."Despite"this,"telephone"<br />
numbers"are"available"for"named"individuals,"which"may"make"identifying"SME"<br />
decision]makers" easier" in" a" survey." <strong>The</strong>" database" also" includes" 500,000" email"<br />
addresses,"although,"as"this"only"constitutes"20%"of"the"number"of"businesses"on"<br />
the"database,"the"representativeness"of"any"online"survey"using"just"these"email"<br />
addresses"would"be"limited."<strong>The</strong>"data"is,"though,"appropriate"for"CAPI,"CATI"or"<br />
postal"surveys.""<br />
Dun" &" Bradstreet" data" figures" prominently" in" government" and" academic"<br />
research," forming" the" basis," as" just" indicated" of" the" CBR’s" National" <strong>Small</strong>" and"<br />
Medium"Sized"<strong>Business</strong>"Surveys"and"the"most"recent"BIS"<strong>Small</strong>"<strong>Business</strong>"Survey"<br />
(IFF" <strong>Research</strong>" 2011)." " <strong>The</strong>" 1991" CBR" survey" was" “the" first" comprehensive"<br />
analysis" of" the" UK" small" and" medium" sized" firm" (SME)" sector" since" Bolton"<br />
(1971)”"(Kitson"and"Michie"1998,"p.3)."<strong>The</strong>"BIS"<strong>Small</strong>"<strong>Business</strong>"Survey"is"a"large"<br />
scale" telephone" survey" used" “to" monitor" key" enterprise" indicators”" (IFF"<br />
<strong>Research</strong>"2011)."<br />
<strong>The</strong>re" are" no" barriers" to" accessing" Dun" and" Bradstreet" data," other" than"<br />
financial,"as"it"is"a"commercial"data"and"credit"rating"agency.""<br />
"<br />
Experian"(pH"Megafile)"<br />
<strong>The</strong>" ‘pH" Megafile’" contains" Experian’s" commercial" business" database," which" is"<br />
stated"to"have"records"for"5"million"businesses,"of"which"3.7"million"are"‘live’."<strong>The</strong>"<br />
database" is" compiled" from" information" sourced" from" various" commercial"<br />
organisations" (Experian," Thomson," Market" Location," Corp" Data," Local" Data"<br />
company," Intelligent" Data" Service," B2" Group" and" Mardev)," in" addition" to" data"<br />
from"Companies"House.""<br />
While"the"pH"Megafile"appears"substantially"larger"than"the"IDBR,"it"is"not"<br />
clear"how"many"non]active"firms"are"included"within"the"database.""However,"its"<br />
size"suggests"that"it"may"better"represent"partnerships"and"sole"traders;"though"<br />
their"commercial"‘visibility’"in"databases"may"still"reduce"their"representation"in"<br />
the"pH"Megafile.""<br />
"<br />
Data"on"companies"in"the"pH"Megafile"include:"<br />
1. Employment"size""<br />
2. SIC""<br />
3. Director"names"<br />
4. Job"titles"<br />
5. Email"addresses"<br />
6. Telephone"numbers"<br />
7. Location"<br />
8. Turnover""<br />
! 33!