Surviving Death Valley : A How-To Guide on Success for Small Ventures

Abstract: Small business creation is a vital factor to any economy, but there is little research done on the challenges faced during intermediate stages in the life of a business that may prevent the success of an organization. The goal of this investigation is to determine what controllable factors inhibit growth within an organization, and how to minimize these barriers in order to reach success. The research focus is on small businesses in operation for more than four years, since this is the period in which support from governmental and private institutions becomes scarce and the organization is forced tomake decisions; not only to survive, but to promote evolution for the firm. This thesis has been written on commission for SME consultation firm BCM-QMS.