Business Development Services and Small Business Growth in Bangladesh

European Journal of Developing Country Studies, Vol.2 2006 ISSN(paper)2668-3385 ISSN(online)2668-3687

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Business Development Services and Small Business Growth in

Bangladesh Mohammad Ahmed

University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

The study aimed at measuring the magnitude of business development services (BDS) and their impacts on the

growth of the small businesses. Growth in equity capital, growth in production, growth in employment, growth

in sales, and growth in profit were used as measures of small business growth. In order to collect the required

primary data, the sampled 120 small entrepreneurs were interviewed with a semi-structured interview schedule.

The hypotheses framed with regard to the impact, extent, and sources of BDS were tested by using chi-square

statistic and t-statistic. The results of the study reveal a significant positive impact BDS on the small business

growth in Bangladesh. The study also claims that small business growth relates linearly with the extensiveness

of BDS and the growth of small businesses received BDS from public supporting institution is higher than that

of the small businesses received BDS from private supporting institution.

Keywords: Bangladesh, BDS, Growth, Small business.

1. Introduction

In the 90's, the Committee of Donor Agencies for Small Enterprise Development (CDASED) coined the

term ‘Business Development Services (BDS)’ to replace the term 'non-financial services’. The 2001 BDS guide

defines BDS consisting of operational and strategic business services as: “Services that improve the performance

of the enterprise, its access to markets, and its ability to compete.” Operational services refer to those services

needed for day to day operations, such as information and communications, management of accounts and tax

records, and other services. The strategic services are those services used by businesses to address medium and

long term issues in order to improve business performance, market access, and competitiveness.

According to McVay and Miehlbradt (2001), BDS refer to a wide array of services designed to address the

non-financial constraints such as lack of education, inadequate technical skills, poor access to markets, lack of

information and unreliable infrastructure. In a study, Goldmark (1996) stated that since the mid-1970s donor

agencies in addition to the financial services have been providing the BDS in the forms of training, technology

transfer, marketing assistance, business advice, mentoring, and information for entrepreneurial activities. These

services have traditionally been called non-financial services and have generally been provided in packages

along with other financial and non-financial services (Goldmark, 1996). Dawson and Jean (1998) and Dawson et

al. (2002) explained BDS as a range of non financial services including training and skill development; technical

and managerial assistance; developing, adapting and promoting new technology; assessing markets and giving

market support; providing a physical infrastructure and advocating policy.

Kahan (2006) defined BDS as the activities including group training, individual counseling and advice, the

development of new commercial entities, technology development and transfer, information provision, business

links and policy advocacy. Verspreet and Berlage's (1999) and Chrisman and McMullan (2004) observed that

BDS to small businesses could take the form of measures designed to improve the overall business environment


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such as the regulatory framework and tax system, infrastructure development, and the provision of non-financial

services. Manuh (1988) and Wren and Storey (2002) treated BDS as software including the provision of

information and advice, counseling and consultancy, training and education, encouragement of partnership and

gateway services.

With respect to small business development, Carney (1998) made a classification of BDS into four different

categories: physical (provision of infrastructure such as water, electricity and industrial sites); social (developing

business linkages, networks, clusters, business associations and cooperatives); natural (promotion of the

sustainable use of natural resources, recycling, pollution reduction and the waste disposal); and human capital

(provision of training, advice, counseling, consultancy, entrepreneurship and business management). According

to Ramsden and Bennett (2005) and Lambretch and Pirnay (2005) the BDS of many countries might fall into

social and human capital assets.

Businesses need an enormous range of services. Most of these are provided by the public and private

supporting institutions such as Banks, Non-bank financial institutions, Non Government Organizations (NGOs),

Corporations, etc. Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), an autonomous corporation

under the Ministry of Industries of Bangladesh, with its industrial estates and training institute-Small

& Cottage Industries Training Institute (SCITI), has been providing BDS for the development of small and

cottage industries (SCI) in Bangladesh since 1957. Micro Industries Development Assistance and Services

(MIDAS), a promotional organization in the private sector, was set up in 1982 with the objective of supporting

the development of micro, small, and medium businesses in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the BDS provided to the

small businesses is comprised hardly of the physical or infrastructural support services. Most of the private

agencies including MIDAS are putting more emphasis on the financial and human capitals. The following Table

exhibits the types of BDS provided by BSCIC and MIDAS:


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Table 1: Business Development Services Provided by BSCIC and MIDAS

Types of Development Services BSCIC MIDAS

Project identification √ √

Feasibility study √ √

Registration facility √ -

Industrial plots/land/shed √ -

Project proposal preparation & appraisal √ √

Training (entrepreneurship development, marketing, finance, etc.) √ √

Utility (power, gas, water, etc.) facility √ -

Technical/market information √ √

Product design/ marketing √ √

Pre and post investment counseling √ √

Credit arrangement √ √

Motivation √ -

Source: Compiled from the replies of the respondents and from annual reports.

The definition of small business varies country to country and between times in the same country. In

Bangladesh, there is no unique definition of small business. On 26 May 2008, the Agricultural Credit and

Special Programs Department (ACSPD) of Bangladesh Bank in a circular (No.8) defined small business as

shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Definition of Small Business Given by Bangladesh Bank

Type of Business Criteria

Fixed Assets

(excluding land and building)

No. of Employee

(full time)

Trading Tk. .05 million to Tk. 5 million Maximum 25

Manufacturing Tk. .05 million to Tk.15 million Maximum 50

Service Tk. .05 million to Tk. 5 million Maximum 25

Source: Bangladesh Bank Circular No.8, May 26, 2008

In measuring the business growth, Esim (2001) used a number of direct and indirect indicators. The direct

business growth indicators, as he mentioned, were increase in net income, number of employees and quantities

of inputs purchased, and products and services sold. Indirect business growth indicators, on the other hand,

included increased access to formal sector services or access to information and extension services.


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In the context of the present study, BDS are defined as those non-financial services offered to small

entrepreneurs at various stages for the entry, survival, and growth of their businesses. Growth refers to the

gradual development of enterprises. After start-up enterprises start growing in terms of operations. Five

measures of small business growth were also employed in the study: growth in equity, growth in production,

growth in employment; growth in sales; and growth in profit. Average growth in equity capital was calculated as

follows:

usedwereservicestheyearsofNo

servicesreceivedwhencapitalequityofAmountincapitalequityofAmount

.

2010 −

The average growths of other measures were calculated as above using respective figures.

2. Review of Previous Studies

Over the last decade, the small enterprise development services—especially financial services for women in

the form of credit and savings—have gained prominence around the world. These services have increasingly

been provided on a cost-effective basis by financially sustainable institutions. Yet, people working in the field of

small enterprise development recognize that financial services have not resulted in business growth for small

businesses. A recent USAID review of 32 research and evaluation reports suggests that few businesses with

financial services experience sustained growth, while a majority grows a little and then even out (Sebstad and

Chen, 1996).

In another cross-country study, Hulme and Mosley (1996) report that credit did not trigger growth in terms

of an increase in technical sophistication, output or employment. While some employment growth is observed

among family members of borrowers, the employment impact outside the family has been small (Dawson and

Jeans, 1997). In the continuing search for stimulating business growth among small businesses, small enterprise

development specialists increasingly turn to BDS.

Tecson, Valcareel, & Nunez (1989) identified a low but positive relationship among total sales,

productivity, and support services received from government supporting institutions. Using multiple regressions,

it was reported that profitability was determined by take-up of government support among other factors.

In their studies in Bangladesh, Mannan (1993); Mahiuddin et al. (1998); Rahman & Jamal (2001); Karim

(2001); Rahman (2002); Ahmed (2003); Jahur & Azad (2004); Mintoo (2006:27); and Islam (2010) found that

the growth of small businesses are constrained by factors such as low levels of education, lack of business

knowledge & experience, marketing problems, administrative obligations, lack of information, weak

infrastructure, etc. BDS aim to address these constraints through training, consulting, marketing services,

business information, promotion of business to business linkages, and other non-financial services. The studies

of Van (1998) indicate that the small-scale businesses (SSE) would prosper if they are supported by BDS

focusing on the peculiar problems of SSE.

The use of BDS has been recognized by both academics and policy makers as one of the methods which can

be used to improve the performance of small businesses (Bennett and Robson, 1999; Massey, 2003; Chrisman

and McMullan, 2004; and Ramsden and Bennett, 2005). However, there are other researchers who have found


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little or no evidence between the use of BDS and the performance of small businesses (Storey, 1994; Manu,

1999; Hjalmarsson and Johansson, 2003; Mambula, 2004).

BDS can help micro businesses solve their problems by facilitating access to markets, improving the

availability of less expensive or higher quality inputs, introducing new or improved technologies and products,

improving management and technical skills, ameliorating or eliminating policy constraints, and helping

businesses access appropriate financing mechanisms (Esim, 2001). Netswera (2001) argued that the systematic

external support services provided by the governments to the small businesses had played a significant role in the

rapid growth of the economies in the South-East Asian countries such as the South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong

Kong.

Saleh (1995) found most of the selected women entrepreneurs with small business management training and

without prior experience and formal education in business, became successful in small business management and

many of them were successful in terms of sales, profitability and number of employees. He urged the supporting

institutions to provide the women entrepreneurs with special counseling so that they could overcome their

problems.

The results of the study made by Rosa (1997) showed that the businesses received support services

experienced significantly higher growth in sales, employment, and productivity. The better performance of the

supported businesses might well be attributable to the supports received by those businesses because the groups

compared were matched in terms of employment size, nature of business, ownership type, and production

processes employed. The study revealed an overall significant difference between the performance of small

businesses receiving limited support services and small businesses receiving extensive support services. The

study, however, failed to conclude that the better performance of the supported businesses is the result of support

services only.

In examining the effectiveness of support services of non government organizations (NGOs) for the

promotion of micro businesses, Mia (2000) found NGOs’ BDS ineffective in generating business ideas,

validating business ideas and developing commitment. While the financial and BDS were considered together,

the support services were found effective in promoting micro businesses. He, therefore, urged the NGOs to

provide full package of sufficient financial and required BDS after assessing their promotional need at various

phases of promotion.

Most of the studies conducted earlier focused on the importance of the BDS. No specific studies were

carried out on the comparative assessment of the small business growth in Bangladesh caused by different

volume and sources of BDS. The present study is an attempt to abridge the gap.

3. Research Hypotheses

Based on the literature review and subject to the objectives of the study, the following hypotheses were

formulated and tested:

Hypothesis 1: Business development services have a significant positive impact on small business


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growth;

Hypothesis 2: The growth of small businesses received extensive business development services is

significantly higher than that of the businesses received limited business development

services; and

Hypothesis 3: The growth of small businesses received business development services from public

supporting institution is significantly higher than that of the businesses supported by

private supporting institution.

4. Study Objectives

The primary objective of this paper was to assess the role of BDS in the growth of small businesses in

Bangladesh. To achieve this objective, the study also pursued the following secondary objectives:

(i) To explore the types of BDS provided by the selected supporting institutions;

(ii) To determine the degree to which BDS are associated with small business growth; and

(iii) To measure the extent of small business growth due to the magnitude and sources of BDS.

5. Study Materials and Methods

The present study was descriptive in nature. The procedures followed in carrying out the study were as

follows:

5.1 Types and Sources of Data

The types of data used in the study covered both primary and secondary data. The sources of primary data

used in the study were the owners, partners, and managing directors of the sample businesses. The sources of

secondary data comprised of books, articles, journals, annual reports, website, unpublished PhD theses, research

reports, and other publications.

5.2 Data Collection Instrument

An interview schedule was prepared and used as an instrument of collecting primary data from the sample

entrepreneurs. For assessing the validity, the content validity in particular, the interview schedule was given final

shape by (i) reviewing related literature extensively; (ii) taking opinion from research experts; and (iii)

conducting pilot surveys on 15 entrepreneurs (not included in the sample). Primary data were collected by face-

to-face interview and telephone interview methods. Secondary data were amassed by desk research by using

different websites and libraries.

5.3 Sampling Design

In Bangladesh, there is no up-to-date baseline information on the total number of supporting institutions and

their supported small businesses. It was, therefore, difficult to select a suitable sampling frame and sample.

Shepherd and Zacharakis (1999) suggest as a rule of thumb that a sample size greater than 50 is normally

sufficient. In the present study, a total of 120 small entrepreneurs from 6 districts of 2 divisions, who took BDS


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from the leading two supporting institutions-BSCIC and MIDAS, constituted the sample. The sample of

respondents was selected using multi-stage random sampling technique. In Bangladesh, the absence of

representative sample in small business research is a major impetus to data. None of the earlier Bangladeshi

studies (Begum, 1993; Saleh, 1995; Kabir, 2004; and other studies) examined the representativeness of their

samples. The research findings, however, were indiscriminately generalized to all small businesses in the

country. In the present study, the number of population is infinite. The extent of representativeness, therefore,

can not be examined by using a chi-square goodness of fit test. However, as the nature and activities of the

sample small businesses were almost similar to those of the homogeneous small businesses all over Bangladesh,

the results found in the study could be generalized.

5.4 Data Processing and Analysis

The collected data were verified to ensure that the respondents answered all relevant questions and that no

answers were missing. The values of the variables were coded by numerical figures and the numerical coded

numbers were given input for analysis of the data using personal computer. Data were then analyzed by using

Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 11.5, developed by Nie et al. (1975). The hypotheses

framed with regard to the impact, extent, and sources of BDS were tested by using the non-parametric and

parametric statistical tools-chi-square statistic and t-statistic.

6. Results and Discussion

This section deals with evaluating the role of the selected supporting institutions’ BDS on small business

growth in Bangladesh.

6.1 Hypothesis Testing-Impact of BDS on Small Business Growth

Hypothesis 1: Business development services have a significant positive impact on small business growth.

Table 3: Business Development Services and Small Business Growth

Variables

Small Business Growth

Growth in

Equity

Growth in

Production

Growth in

Employment

Growth in

Sales

Growth in

Profit

χ2

value

p

value

χ2

value

p

value

χ2

value

p

value

χ2

value

p

value

χ2

value

p

value

Business development services

4.694 <.05

4.143 <.05

1.242 N.S

5.267 <.05

2.818 <.10

Note: N.S means not significant

Source: Field Survey during May to December 2010.

The results (χ2 value and p value) prove that BDS had a significant positive impact on the growth of equity

capital, production, sales, and profit. The results, however, disclose that statistically there existed no impact of


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BDS on the growth in employment, as evidenced by p value. The result became so because the BDS especially

the training enabled the entrepreneurs to improve their business efficiency and production process from manual

to automation. The hypothesis that BDS have a significant positive impact on small business growth is,

therefore, partially accepted.

6.2 Hypothesis Testing-Growth Performance between Businesses Received Extensive BDS and Businesses

Received Limited BDS

The sample small businesses, received BDS including training, were divided into two groups. The first

group consisted of the businesses received at best 3 BDS (limited) of the listed 12 services (see Table 1) and

another group which received at least 4 BDS (extensive).

Hypothesis 2: The growth of small businesses received extensive business development services is significantly

higher than that of the businesses received limited business development services.

Table 4: Test for Significance of Differences between the Growth Performances of Businesses Received

Extensive BDS and Businesses Received Limited BDS

Growth Measures Mean Value of

t – statistic

d.f p

value EBDS1 LBDS

2

Growth in equity (million Tk.) 0.56 0.23 2.753** 49.649 .008

Growth in production (million unit) 0.13 0.01 1.878* 85.904 .064

Growth in employment (unit) 1.15 0.62 1.042 16.890 .315

Growth in sales (million Tk.) 1.50 0.76 0.931 25.778 .361

Growth in profit (million Tk.) 0.09 0.03 1.036 81.894 .300

1 Businesses received extensive BDS. 2 Businesses received limited BDS.

** Significant at the 0.01 level

* Significant at the 0.10 level

Table 4 shows that the businesses received extensive BDS achieved significantly higher growth in equity

and production than the businesses received limited BDS. The data in the Table also shows that the businesses

which received extensive BDS attained higher growth in employment, sales, and profit compared to that of the

businesses which got limited BDS. In the study, Sarder (2000:230) found that extensive assistance seems to have

a significant effect on growth in sales and employment. The finding above has significant policy implication for

the small business sector. It can be said that by offering more BDS, the equity capital and production can be

increased in the small business sector as significant differences were evident in equity and production growth in

the above analysis. Thus, the hypothesis that the growth of small businesses received extensive BDS is

significantly higher than that of the businesses received limited BDS, was partially accepted.


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6.3 Hypothesis Testing-Growth between Public and Private Institutions Supported Businesses

The sample businesses were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of the businesses which

received BDS from BSCIC- a public supporting institution, while another group of businesses received BDS

from MIDAS- a private supporting institution. To examine if there was any significant difference in the growth

performance between these two groups of businesses, the following hypothesis was tested:

Hypothesis 3: The growth in the performance of small businesses received support services from public

supporting institution is significantly higher than that of the businesses supported by private

supporting institution.

Table 5: Test for Significance of Differences in Growth Performance between Public and Private

Institutions Supported Businesses

Growth Measures

Mean Value of

t-statistic

d.f

p

value

PuSI1 PrSI

2

Growth in equity (million Tk.) 0.46 0.10 5.168** 103.91 .000

Growth in production (million unit) 0.13 0.01 2.118* 90.23 .037

Growth in employment (unit) 0.69 0.63 0.193 46.50 .847

Growth in sales (million Tk.) 1.85 0.26 3.472** 117.13 .001

Growth in profit (million Tk.) 0.11 0.03 0.940* 103.62 .049

1 Businesses received BDS from public supporting institution.

2 Businesses received BDS from private supporting institution.

** Significant at the 0.01 level

* Significant at the 0.05 level

The results of testing the hypothesis are presented in Table 5. The hypothesis was accepted since the

businesses supported by public supporting institution achieved significantly higher growth in almost all growth

measures than the businesses supported by private supporting institution. In particular, the businesses those

received BDS from public supporting institution achieved significantly higher growth in equity capital,

production, sales, and profit compared to the businesses those received BDS from private supporting institution.

The public supporting institution supported businesses accomplished higher growth in employment but not

significant. The findings, therefore, suggest that the BDS, offered by the public sector supporting institution,

seemed to be more effective than that of the private supporting institution. This result is quite reverse of the


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result of the study of Sarder (2000:234). The reasons for high growth of public institution supported businesses

(mostly manufacturing) might be that these businesses had higher start-up capital, business plot in the industrial

area, conducive environment, registration facilities, infrastructural facilities including gas, power, water,

drainage, etc. with low service charge, local and international training, motivation, etc.

Conclusions

The growth of an existing business may depend on different factors including the profiles of the

entrepreneurs and their businesses and the BDS. But the present study was limited to BDS only. It is, therefore,

difficult to establish whether the growth of supported small businesses is due to the direct effects on BDS only.

However, based on the overall findings of the present study, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. In Bangladesh, supporting institutions’ BDS played a significant positive role in the growth of small

business except its employment growth. The increased volume of production requires more employees

but due to the technological improvement and for being trained by the entrepreneurs and their

employees, the employment growth was not significantly occurred.

2. In terms of extensiveness of BDS, extensive support services seemed to be more effective than limited

support services. The study concludes that the greater the extent of BDS, the higher the financial growth

of the supported businesses. However, the BDS relating to the marketing of products and services are to

be provided more to increase the sales.

3. The public supporting institution supported businesses, with start-up and growth services including

industrial sheds and infrastructural supports, achieved significantly higher growth in all selected growth

measures than that of the businesses supported by the private supporting institution.

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Business Development Services and Small Business Growth in Bangladesh

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