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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of" the" trade" bodies" we" surveyed" provide" support" for" their" members" facing"<br />
justiciable"issues,"and"some"provided"extensive"legal"services."Thus,"the"advice"<br />
seeking" behaviour" of" members" could" not" be" taken" to" be" representative" of"<br />
businesses" in" the" sectors" concerned" unless" membership" extended" to" the" great"<br />
majority"of"such"businesses."In"the"case"of"our"eight"trade"associations,"estimates"<br />
of" the" percentage" coverage" of" businesses" working" in" their" sector" varied" from"<br />
20%"to"80%.""<br />
"<br />
Developing'a'Sample'Frame:'Conclusions'<br />
<strong>The</strong>re" is" comparatively" little" recent" commentary" on" the" relative" merits" of" the"<br />
different"large]scale"business"datasets."This"may"suggest"a"lack"of"interest"in"this"<br />
issue" by" policy" audiences," or" it" may" simply" reflect" that" researchers" are" more"<br />
concerned"with"highlighting"the"structure"of"the"SME"selection"within"any"chosen"<br />
sample"frame."<strong>The</strong>"IDBR"evidently"provides"a"robust"and"reliable"sample"frame."<br />
However," issues" around" coverage" lead" us" to" conclude" that" a" sample" frame"<br />
derived"from"one"of"the"commercial"database"companies"would"provide"the"best"<br />
option" in" the" context" of" this" report." Of" these" companies," we" consider" Dun" &"<br />
Bradstreet" and" Experian" to" be" most" likely" to" hold" current," comprehensive" and"<br />
accurate"data"of"the"type"required.""<br />
<strong>The</strong>"variables"within"the"Dun"&"Bradstreet"and"Experian"data"are"similar,"<br />
and" similar" to" those" within" the" IDBR," and" new" variables" can" be" created" to"<br />
develop" comparable" data" where" needed." Both" databases" are" also" readily"<br />
available" for" purchase." In" Dun" &" Bradstreet’s" favour" is" positive" comment" in"<br />
large]scale" academic" research" and" its" current" use" for" the" major" BIS" <strong>Small</strong>"<br />
<strong>Business</strong>"Survey."In"Experian’s"favour"is"perhaps"greater"coverage."Either"would"<br />
be"an"appropriate"choice"for"an"all]sector"benchmark"survey."<br />
We" also" conclude" that" sector" specific" surveys" could" be" appropriately"<br />
delivered" through" regulatory" or" business" organisations," provided" that" data"<br />
covers"a"high"percentage"of"businesses"in"any"given"sector."<br />
For" developmental" and" piloting" work," we" also" propose" that" market"<br />
research" small" business" panels" are" worth" considering," alongside" omnibus"<br />
surveys"based"on"more"extensive"sample"frames"(as"discussed"further"below).""<br />
"<br />
Sample!size!<br />
Introduction'<br />
A" survey’s" sample" size" should" permit" conclusions" to" be" made" with" a" level" of"<br />
uncertainty"tolerable"for"key"survey"statistics"within"the"cost"constraints"of"the"<br />
survey" (Groves" et" al.," 2009)." It" is" not" an" arbitrary" choice" based" on" what" other"<br />
surveys"have"done,"nor"should"it"be"calculated"as"a"particular"proportion"of"the"<br />
frame"population"size"(since"sample"size"requirements"are"almost"independent"<br />
of"population"size"(Groves"et"al.,"2009))."""<br />
One" common" method" of" determining" an" appropriate" sample" size" is" to"<br />
determine"the"sample"size"required"to"provide"a"predetermined"standard"error"<br />
! 37!