Servicing Advocacy in E-Government: Small Business Development Services in Cape Town
Small businesses are widely regarded by national and international bodies, including the South African government, as an "engine of economic growth". However, much available evidence suggests that establishing a new small business in South Africa is difficult because of a lack of appropri...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
LINK Centre, School of Literature Language and Media (SLLM)
2011-02-01
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| Series: | The African Journal of Information and Communication |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ajic.wits.ac.za/article/view/13702 |
| _version_ | 1811158334714150912 |
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| author | Zoran Mitrovic Andy Bytheway |
| author_facet | Zoran Mitrovic Andy Bytheway |
| author_sort | Zoran Mitrovic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Small businesses are widely regarded by national and international bodies, including the South African government, as an "engine of economic growth". However, much available evidence suggests that establishing a new small business in South Africa is difficult because of a lack of appropriate support. The research reported here sets out to examine the actual support that has been available, and the viewpoints of both the support service providers and the intended beneficiaries – small business owners and managers. It was found that government-based support services were predominant in the minds of small businesses and other involved parties, and that much of the interest in these services was based on accessibility via the Internet, a form of electronic government service. However, despite claims of success by e-government service providers, it is found that many small businesses are not aware of available support services, and that, where they are known, there is scepticism about the benefits of engaging with them. As the problems have been found to be centred around a lack of awareness of available services, this article reports on a possible solution, based on a concept referred to here as Servicing Advocacy.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:22:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b4910a1b56d64fe9b3690edfc853fa2d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-7205 2077-7213 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:22:45Z |
| publishDate | 2011-02-01 |
| publisher | LINK Centre, School of Literature Language and Media (SLLM) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The African Journal of Information and Communication |
| spelling | doaj.art-b4910a1b56d64fe9b3690edfc853fa2d2023-03-08T06:32:37ZengLINK Centre, School of Literature Language and Media (SLLM)The African Journal of Information and Communication2077-72052077-72132011-02-011110.23962/10539/19720Servicing Advocacy in E-Government: Small Business Development Services in Cape TownZoran MitrovicAndy Bytheway Small businesses are widely regarded by national and international bodies, including the South African government, as an "engine of economic growth". However, much available evidence suggests that establishing a new small business in South Africa is difficult because of a lack of appropriate support. The research reported here sets out to examine the actual support that has been available, and the viewpoints of both the support service providers and the intended beneficiaries – small business owners and managers. It was found that government-based support services were predominant in the minds of small businesses and other involved parties, and that much of the interest in these services was based on accessibility via the Internet, a form of electronic government service. However, despite claims of success by e-government service providers, it is found that many small businesses are not aware of available support services, and that, where they are known, there is scepticism about the benefits of engaging with them. As the problems have been found to be centred around a lack of awareness of available services, this article reports on a possible solution, based on a concept referred to here as Servicing Advocacy. https://ajic.wits.ac.za/article/view/13702small business developmente-government support servicesadequacyawarenessadvocacy |
| spellingShingle | Zoran Mitrovic Andy Bytheway Servicing Advocacy in E-Government: Small Business Development Services in Cape Town The African Journal of Information and Communication small business development e-government support services adequacy awareness advocacy |
| title | Servicing Advocacy in E-Government: Small Business Development Services in Cape Town |
| title_full | Servicing Advocacy in E-Government: Small Business Development Services in Cape Town |
| title_fullStr | Servicing Advocacy in E-Government: Small Business Development Services in Cape Town |
| title_full_unstemmed | Servicing Advocacy in E-Government: Small Business Development Services in Cape Town |
| title_short | Servicing Advocacy in E-Government: Small Business Development Services in Cape Town |
| title_sort | servicing advocacy in e government small business development services in cape town |
| topic | small business development e-government support services adequacy awareness advocacy |
| url | https://ajic.wits.ac.za/article/view/13702 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zoranmitrovic servicingadvocacyinegovernmentsmallbusinessdevelopmentservicesincapetown AT andybytheway servicingadvocacyinegovernmentsmallbusinessdevelopmentservicesincapetown |