Exploring the Development Strategies of Rural Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises

Abstract

Purpose: While the product-market typology model seems to be best understood and widely embraced by large corporates, it is less noticeable among many small businesses. This article adopts the aforementioned framework to identify and empirically analyze impactful strategies on various measures of growth associated with rural Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. Methodology: Using data from a survey of a probability sample of 148 owner-managed small businesses, Exploratory Factor Analysis test was conducted to test for internal scale consistency of the data. In the analysis: six predictor variables formed the growth strategies, while growth measures comprised three variables, then fitted into a prepared regression model. Results: The regression model reveals the use and implementation of market penetration and pricing strategies which have a positive and significant impact on the SMME's growth. Findings further suggest that - while the gender of the owner-manager has no influence on the growth of the SMMEs - immigrant SMMEs seem to perform better compared to ventures owned by other race categories. Overall growth of SMMEs is generally more driven by customer base, competitive advantage, and customer satisfaction. Implications: The implication for rural SMMEs amid the uncertainties and challenges in the developing economies, is that certain strategies act as a catalyst for growth and performance. The findings may be used to develop policies that promote entrepreneurship in South Africa and other developing countries. Originality/value: The paper's unique contribution is that virtually no study yet attempted to apply the product-market typology model holistically to investigate its influence on the growth of rural SMMEs in a developing country.