ABSTRACT
As mentioned in Chapter 7, virtually all developed country governments provide subsidised information services for SMEs, with some form of consultancy or advisory services. Most also subsidise employer and employee training in one form or another, specifically for small firms, to extend public educational and vocational training. These support services are also provided by donors or NGOs in developing countries. The government-sponsored support systems run alongside, and in some cases partly incorporate, semi-public or private not-for-profit services such as those of chambers of commerce and trade associations and, to an extent, compete with purely commercial services run for profit.
