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recent releases from Leicester Shire Development Agency, Business Link for Leicestershire and Business Link Lincolnshire & Rutland | 
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14 June 2002
NEWS RELEASE
NEW INFORMATION TO HELP LEICESTERSHIRE BUSINESSES GET AHEAD
New information is being released to give Leicestershire firms an inside knowledge of businesses in Europe and to help them target their overseas competitors more effectively.
The information is being made available by the Euro Info Centre at Business Link for Leicestershire.
Covering topics including the structure of businesses in Europe and the challenges facing business people, the results are from the first three reports of the Observatory of European small and medium sized enterprises.
Findings include:
· More than 99 per cent of the 20 million non-primary sector enterprises in Europe are SME's.
· Two thirds of all enterprise sector jobs are in SME's and very small firms (with less than ten employees) provide one third of all jobs.
· The average European business employs six people.
· The main constraint to SME growth is lack of skilled labour.
· One third of all SME's now have international business contacts, compared to one quarter in 1999.
· 22 per cent of European SME's are owned by women.
Leicester Euro Info Centre manager Sarah Wilson, said, "These findings provide a great opportunity for Leicestershire businesses to assess their European counterparts and use the information to get ahead."
For further details go to www.europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise_policy/analysis/observatory.htm or contact the Euro Info Centre on 0845 070 0086.
Ends
For further media information
CONTACT Kate Downs on 0116 254 4472
Notes to Editors
The Leicester Euro Info Centre is part of a network of some 250 Euro Info Centres set up by the European Commission throughout Europe. Staffed by a team of informed and qualified professionals, it has direct access to the European Commission, to help SMEs in the region meet the challenges involved in successfully tapping the European market.
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