A Preliminary Assessment of the Effects of Climate Variability on Agulu Lake, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) play an important role in the economy of many countries. The Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) sector is a major contributor to technical innovation and new product developments, in terms of employment, economic development. The creation and expansion of new SMMEs helps to produce a high volume of new jobs. Entrepreneurs have high expectations and are often found among new and innovative and technology-based firms, but in order for them to play a major role in economic growth and development, it is also necessary that there is a real supply of fresh innovations and processes to renew businesses. Many eminent scholars have written about the challenges that SMMEs face worldwide. Some scholars have decided to look into these problems based on different sectors. Basically the researcher has looked at external forces that small businesses face while considering all small businesses registered with the Business Support Centre (BSC), Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. These external factors are basically not controllable by a single business. SMME's are said to be a lifeline of many nations and thereby attention must be drawn to them starting from micro businesses to small and medium enterprises. Entrepreneurial activity helps to reduce both employment and underemployment. After reviewing an extensive range of literature on the development and enhancement of SMMEs, it was evident that most research has considered businesses based on a certain list that they have acquired from the Chamber of Commerce of different countries and provinces, some have considered walking within a certain location in order to access data etc. The researcher decided to base the research on an organisation that has some SMMEs registered with them. The researcher has looked into these individual organisations and also their mother company called Business Support Centre (BSC), Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu Natal Province in South Africa. This will enable the researcher to have direct contact with all the registered small businesses with BSC and also the management of BSC and it will enable the researcher to access adequate information on the problems these small businesses face externally.