This book examines the relationships between small businesses, large businesses and their local economies. The wide-ranging examination is based on data collected from over 400 businesses
in seven contrasting localities in the United Kingdom. All the owner-managers and large organization representatives were interviewed face-to-face and background data was collected from numerous other individuals and sources.

The authors' findings have profound implications for theory and policy. They question the applicability of models of the changing economy such as 'industrial districts' idealized in much of the recent literature. The results also have implications for those agencies based on the locality attempting to reach small businesses as well as government policies attempting economic development.