Think small: sector encouraged to reach out to SMEs

My most difficult task as a new academic in 1985, was to encourage the establishment of Small Business and Entrepreneurship courses. Most of the Business School staff had studied and research in the area of the Corporates, Multi-Nationals, and Governments, and failed to comprehend how important the SME sector was to the economy. I finally convinced my university to pursue the SME sector in their teaching and research by undertaking innovative research to prove my point. This certainly ruffled a few feathers, but I persevered and developed an international reputation for my university in the SME field, so much so that European students chose to undertake some of their coursework in Australia. I collaborated with the local Small Business Development Centre and established a program whereby students would undertake research for the SBDCs clients. The opportunity is out there, one just have to be more proactive and go into the marketplace to find the need, and then to discuss with the SME owners in terms they understand - this is just basic selling skills, which I earned my livelihood from for many years. It's all about "getting back to the basics" and "keeping it simple".