The “new economy” euphoria was sowing the seeds of less positive developments even before it actually burst. It seems to have been accompanied by a rising short-termism of corporate managers, which in turn was accompanied by corporate malpractice and also pushed firms to over-invest, especially in the IT and telecommunications sector.
Thirdly, to grow the number of small businesses in the country the education system has an important role to play by raising the level of skills among the workforce and empowering potential entrepreneurs to realise that potential. Finally, the growth and indeed the flourishing of small business is key to our future.