Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board

4. The"requirement"to"maintain"engagement"between"waves."
5. A" concern" that" those" dropping" out" from" survey" are" systematically"
different."
"
The"decision"to"move"to"the"longitudinal"design"was"ultimately"taken"to"further"
develop"lines"of"analysis"from"the"CSJS,"which"had"been"run"as"a"cross]sectional"
survey"for"a"decade.""
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Conclusion''
In"the"case"of"the"business"benchmark"survey"a"real"concern"is"that"churn"among"
businesses"will"impact"unduly"on"panel"integrity"(See,"for"example,"Cosh,"Hughes"
and"Wood"1998)."Moreover,"the"nature"of"businesses"ceasing"to"be"a"part"of"the"
survey" may" differ" in" important" ways" (e.g." business" failure)," which" may" link" to"
core"aspects"of"the"survey."The"CSJS"moved"to"a"longitudinal"form"after"a"decade,"
at"which"point"there"was"a"good"understanding"of"patterns"of"experience"and"a"
diminishing"return"from"cross]sectional"surveys."Given"that"different"position"of"
the" benchmark" survey" and" the" concerns" outlined" above," we" therefore" suggest"
that"a"cross]sectional"survey"would"be"the"more"prudent"option."
" However,"consents"should"be"obtained"for"follow]up"to"enable"this"choice"
to"be"revisited"after"the"completion"of"the"baseline"survey."
"
Piloting!
It" is" imperative" that" any" survey" is" properly" piloted." Piloting" is" necessary" to"
ensure"that"interviews"are"appropriate"in"duration,"CAPI"programming"works, 34 "
interviewers/respondents" are" happy" with" the" questions" being" asked," and" that"
questions"are"being"understood"and"answered."
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Summary!of!Our!Proposed!Approach!
In"summary,"in"relation"to"defining"small"businesses,"the"following"is"proposed."
"
• A"‘legal"need’"type"survey"is"appropriate"for"the"LSB’s"objectives"
• A"survey"of"micro"businesses"would"be"the"best"starting"point."
• The"most"comprehensive"sample"frame"would"be"derived"from"one"of"the"
commercially"available"large]scale"business"databases.""
• Dun"&"Bradstreet"data"has"been"used"effectively"in"high"profile"research."
• A"reasonable"sample"size"would"be"4,000"micro"businesses."
• Sector"specific"surveys"could"potentially"be"run"through"trade"organisations."
• Owner]managers/managing"directors"should"be"interviewed."
• If"affordable"the"survey"should"be"run"face]to]face."
• Maximum"interview"duration"should"be"around"1"hour."
• Mixed"mode"of"delivery"could"extend"reach"and"improve"efficiency."
• Online"surveys"could"appropriately"be"used"for"developmental"work.""
• The"survey"should"be"cross]sectional"in"the"first"instance." "
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34"CAPI"programming"should"also"be"tested"using"dummy"data."
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