A1 Size and features of SMEs GapFill

The number of members of staff in an SME varies, depending on the business size. For example, a micro SME will have up to  151001020 members of staff. An SME is considered to be small if the number of members of staff is between  10502011 and 49. A medium-sized SME will have up to  500300250249 members of staff. 

Ownership of SMEs will vary, but is unlikely to include  sole traderLtdpartnershipPlc. Due to the risks involved in setting up a new enterprise, many smaller ones may have started life as a  charityfranchisepartnershipside hustle. Once the entrepreneur is confident the new enterprise can create enough revenue to support them, they may then focus on it full time and aim to grow. For micro SMEs providing products and not services, the confidence of customers to order online means it is an advantage to invest in  computersa professional website accepting online ordersstaffone social media platform as they can increase their customer base without having to acquire new  logospremisesadvertising campaignsstaff in order to reach customers in a different  time zonelocationoccupationgroup. 

SMEs may exist in more than one economic  locationsectoreragroup such as both secondary and  in persontertiarylocationonline. An example would be a furniture maker who has a workshop behind a shopfront, where customers can visit to buy the products. A farm shop selling vegetables and eggs is an example of an SME being in both  primary and secondaryrural and townprimary and tertiarysecondary and tertiary sectors.