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Business and standardization

Small Business Survey

BSI carried out a survey to determine how small businesses use standardization, aiming to understand the thinking and concerns of this important sector. The survey was carried out in association with BSI's Small Business Policy Committee, comprising the Federation of Small Business, Forum for Private Business, DTI Small Business Service, and Chambers of Commerce.

The committee will consider the results of the survey to identify opportunities for helping small businesses take advantage of standardization.

Data was gathered from over 140 businesses with less than 50 employees and turnover of less than £5 million, the majority having five or fewer employees.

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Standards and Innovation

The Standards and Innovation report was the NSSF's first research activity. It aimed to provide the economic arguments and evidence base for the role of standards in business and the wider economy.

The paper applies extensive business survey data to analyse the role of standardization in national innovation performance. The most striking results are that, contrary to popular assumptions, standards promote and enable innovation in the economy, even among businesses who perceive standards and regulations to hamper their individual innovation efforts.

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Standards: Productivity Driver or Regulatory Burden?

A CBI discussion paper on the future of the UK standardization infrastructure that sets out the business benefits of standardization, what businesses want from standards and proposed improvements to the standardization infrastructure.

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