Questionnaire SMEs

Questionnaire for small businesses (SMEs)
Main target group:
Other target groups:
Aim of the interviews:
Small businesses in entre-coach partner countries
People considering starting a business, business organisations
(such as Chamber of Commerce), unemployed
people and students who wish to start their own business
A survey of each partner country to define the knowledge,
skills and competences needed for teachers and trainers
to be able to work as entre-coaches, from the eyes of the
small business who need the business coaching
1. How would you describe yourself or your organisation
Please
a) Small business
b) Self-employed
c) Student
d) Unemployed
e) Business Organisation
(please go to Question 7)
f) Other, please specify: …………………………
Own background
2. If you are a business person, how many people work in your
business
Please
a) Not yet started
b) Yourself
c) Yourself and a partner
d) Employ staff (please state number)
e) I’m just considering options and need
information
3. If you are a business person, please consider innovation in
your company – products or services. Have you introduced
anything new in the last 2 years
yes
no
4. Please state your country:
……………………………………………………………………….
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5. Is the company culture supportive of innovation
yes
no
6. If you answered No to question 5, could you give your views
on the possible reasons:
Please do not select more than 5 items
a) Company generally does not wish to take any
risk
b) Company doesn’t have the necessary
resources
c) The level of bureaucracy is too high
d) Past innovations have been unsuccessful
e) Employees need training in innovation
f) There is no team culture
g) There is no use of cross-cultural teams
h) Other, please specify: ………………………….
Innovation
and Entrepreneurship
7. In your own opinion what are the five main criteria to be
able to be a successful entrepreneur
Please do not select more than 5 items
i) Passion
j) Creativity
k) Flexibility
l) Pragmatism
m) Determination
n) Leadership
o) Charisma
p) Specialist knowledge
q) Economic competence
r) Management competence
s) Networking competence
t) Other, please specify: ………………………….
8. Do you know any organizations, people or programs responsible
for the promotion of entrepreneurship in your area
yes
no
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9. If you have introduced a new product or service and you
think it is successful, on what information do you base this
view
Please
a) Business growth
b) Financial growth
c) Better market position
d) Other, please specify: …………………………
Entrepreneurship
as a
professional
perspective
for the students
10. What are the main obstacles or delays in innovation
Please
a) Lack of time
b) Lack of money
c) Risk-averse company culture
d) Past innovations have been unsuccessful
e) Compnay is content with current position
f) Other, please specify: …………………………
11. What do you see as the most important criteria for people to
be able to build up their own enterprises
Please do not select more than 5 items
a) Innovation
b) Communication skills
c) Setting targets and meeting objectives
d) Motivation
e) Creativity
f) Openess to new ideas
g) Willingness to take calculated risks
h) Specialist knowledge
i) Economic competence
j) Management competence
k) Networking competence
l) Other, please specify: ………………………….
Own experience
/ training
needed
12. Here are some skills which have been found useful when
setting up or running a small business enterprise. Please
complete the chart below by ticking the number that most
closely reflects your views on the usefulness of training in
the skill area.
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Training would be useful
0= not interested, 1 = not useful, 2 = fairly useful, 3 = medium, 4 =
useful, 5 = very useful
a) How to be more innovative
b) Communication and networking skills
c) Target and Objective setting
d) Motivation
e) Creativity
f) Successful entrepreneurship
g) Leadership
h) Marketing and unique selling points
i) Economic competence
j) Management competence
k) Networking competence
l) Other – please state
…………………………………………
0 1 2 3 4 5
13. In your opinion, which method(s) of training would be most
useful to you
Please
a) Series of workshops
b) Distance (online) learning
c) Workshops and distance learning combined
d) One to one coaching
e) Learning from other experienced entrepreneurs
f) Other
..................................................................................
14. What do you see as the most important training that a
teacher/trainer needs to receive to be able to successfully
promote entrepreneurship to their students
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