Small businesses are the engine of the Australian economy - and likewise of most national economies in the world. Whether they are one-person firms, family businesses, small proprietary companies or SMEs (small and medium enterprises), they all face similar challenges in the startup and finance seeking stages. And they all, also, at some point will interact with government entities including taxation bodies and industry and market regulators.

But how, exactly, does government regulation (the `supply side') impact on small business performance? And how is that impact perceived from the perspective of small businesses? This is referred to as the `demand side' of regulation.

Constraints on SMEs: The Challenges of Finance, Taxation and Regulation explores the impact of regulations and regulatory bodies on SMEs. Questions raised include exploring whether large corporates have an unfair advantage over SMEs when engaging with and interacting with governments and regulatory bodies.

Ultimately, this book looks at whether there is a relationship between government regulation and the performance of SMEs. If SMEs can better understand the regulatory environment they must operate in,they can then design business strategies to improve their efficiency in regulatory compliance and improve their economic and social performance.