| dc.description.abstract | Abstract: The privatization drive and the Civil and Public Service reforms that began in the early 1990s in
Uganda laid a foundation for an increased number of small business enterprises. By 2002, small scale
enterprises were employing approximately 2,000,000, and serving about 6,000,000 people at business and
household level. The entrepreneurs that set up these enterprises lacked business management skills and
capital, and as such, many of them faced a number of problems, most of which were of a startup nature.
A survey was carried out to establish the causes of small business failures in Uganda using businesses in
Mbarara and Bushenyi towns as case studies. In-depth interviews and questionnaire methods were
mainly used to collect data from 133 small business enterprises. It is concluded that the causes of small
businesses failure are multidimensional and diverse. They include poor management as well as political,
economic, social, cultural and environmental factors. In practice, many of these are interrelated. The
survey revealed that the startup factors posed a greater threat than those that are encountered once the
business has been established. As such, business people who successfully negotiate the initial startup
hurdles have greater chances of future success in their businesses. Despite the solutions sought over the
years, the business community in Uganda is still hampered by the challenges. The study concludes by
making a number of practical suggestions against business failure. | en_US |
