University Dissertation

[ShermanCardenas]

Hi Guys,

[size=4]Just wondering if any of my fellow rams work in the construction industry or have any contacts I could email as part of my dissertation research. I have emailed plenty of contractors in the area, but the more responses I get the better results my research will show.

Part of my course is to write a dissertation on an issue which is current and construction based. My dissertation is based on the new business bank scheme that the current government has proposed, and the effects it may have on the SMEs (small medium enterprises) in the construction industry within the East Midlands.

As part of my dissertation I will create a questionnaire/interview based on the effects the bank may have. I am writing to you to ask if there is anyone who could spare a few minutes of their time and help me with some future questions I may have?

Many thanks for your time!

Sam[/size]

[ladyram]

Sorry Sherman, I can't help but I'll give this a bump for you.

[RamNut]

Strange choice of subject.

The construction industry is on its aarse because there is no work.

The cuts in public spending combined with the banks refusal to fund private sector development mean that all parties are chasing fewer and fewer projects.

With the economy fooked there is no work.

With no work there is no income.

With no income then what are exactly is the promised lending helping to sustain?

With the economy up shiit street, if the goverment want to help small businesses in the construction sector then they need to help by starting to fund small projects, possibly with access to funding conditioned to ensure that a significant percentage of the money trickles down to small local businesses. This could be achieved by procurement rules requiring a percentage of projects to be tendered to small local construction companies and subcontractors. Many schools for example have buildings in dire need of refurbishment or replacement.

And yet there is a huge programme of public sector spending cuts and a legacy of procurement frameworks which favour the larger firms.

The last government had huge programmes of school and college building.

They made a total mess of encouraging colleges for example, to develop grandiose plans for wholescale redevelopment which was both unsustainable and unfundable. When such projects went ahead then they were necessarily undertaken by the big national construction companies and consultants, procured via frameworks which offered little to local businesses and were uncompetitive.

More often than not projects were abandoned leaving coleges which significant debts.

And yet whilst the private sector struggles, public projects continue to be cut and european procurement rules actually make it difficult for whatever work there is to be tendered to small local businesses.

This new government initiative is perhaps more to do with countering the banks refusal to lend.

Promising help to small businesses on the one hand whilst the cuts continue to kill the projects which might have provided a lifeline of income to the small construction firms and subbies.

Even since 2007 stats from the Insolvency service reveal that the number of compancy insolvencies has rocketed ; peaking at 2000 more voluntary and compulsory liquidations per quarter by 2009 and currently maintaing a steady stream of 1000 more company liquidations per quarter.In these market conditions small subcontractors - fighting to survive - get screwed ever harder. Additional lending will no doubt provide short term assistance but ultimately what the construction industry needs is additional spending not lending.

[ShermanCardenas]

Thanks for your response, I wrote a really long paragraph explaining everything but my laptop turned it self off and i can't bring myself to write it again haha.

Heres a slice of why i've decided to focus on SME's and the Business Bank

With this in mind the Government has issued proposed plans for a new scheme called the ‘Business Bank’, a state-backed institution which will combine one billion pounds of government capital with a larger private sector contribution. The aim is to further leverage this fund to support up to £10 billion financing of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) (BBC News, 2012a). The aim is to give SME’s more long term financial security and hopefully free up more capital for the sector. With more than 99% of construction sector businesses as SMEs, (AMARATUNGA, D, 2011) accounting for 20% of all UK enterprises and makes the biggest contribution to turnover of all industries (37%), estimated at £1,186bn, it seems that construction SME’s are vital to growth (STOCKWOOD, Jason 2011).

Every £1 invested in construction generates £2.84 in the broader economy.

Sam

[derbydan]

I'd suggest creating a profile on Linked In (its a professional social networking site) join the groups on there & ask the same question you'll be more likely to get relevant industry types replying to you plus its always good to get a few contacts for when you graduate to help with the job search ect.

[ramexpat]

i could help with european contacts but unfotunatly not in the Uk

[ShermanCardenas]

I've contacted the CIOB and they have said suggested creating a online survey on 'SurveyMonkey', which i can then email back to them and they will be able to send it out to SME's. So if that works then it'll be fantastic.

Now just a small task of looking for a job!