The big concerns of small business: a qualitative study

This paper presents insights from a qualitative study of small business owners across Australia. The findings identified four key themes that emerged from the discussions. The first focuses on regulation and examines small business owners’ views on the nature of workplace regulation. The second theme identified that small business owners view success as a trade-off between structural quantity (i.e. more employees, greater financial returns), and functional quality (i.e. personal satisfaction and lifestyle). This third theme focused on owners’ perceptions of their business and its role in their personal and professional life. The final theme examined the future of the Australian workplace. An overall review of the findings is then presented to draw together the discussion and conclusion.