Small Business Survey Scotland: 2023-2024

Business Demographics

• 66 per cent of SME employers were urban-based while 34 per cent were rural-based. Urban/rural locations are based on the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification 2020
• 26 per cent of SME employers were home-based and without external business premises
• 18 per cent were classified as being social enterprises (based on answers given pertaining to the level of commitment businesses have to causes that are important to them)
• 20 per cent of SME employers were women-led (defined as a business with the majority of the combined total number of owners, partners and directors being female), while 26 per cent were equally led by both men and women and 8 per cent had women in the minority. Furthermore, 19 per cent of the SMEs were more than half owned by women. 49 per cent were male-led and 41 per cent were entirely male-led
• 75 per cent of SME employers were family majority-owned
• 7 per cent of SME employers were Minority Ethnic Group (MEG)-led (defined as a business with the majority of the combined total number of owners, partners and directors being of an ethnic minority background)