Small and Medium Scale Enterprises’ Activities and Eonomic Developmemnt in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria

This paper assesses the impact of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) activities on economic development in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. To achieve this theme, an instrument Called Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Survey Questionnaire (SMEQ) was developed which focused more on employment generation and poverty reduction. The population of the study was chosen based on the two thousand six hundred and thirty-four (2634) registered SMEs with the Rivers State Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 2019. Based on simple random sampling technique, a total of three hundred and thirty-eight (338) respondents were sampled. Relying on descriptive statistics and logistic regression estimation techniques, the data were analyzed. Analyses of the respondents’ opinion suggest that the major businesses engaged in the study area were restaurant, tailoring and beauty/hair dressing. Again, majority of the respondents were of the opinion that SMEs operators do not have increased access to basic social-economic amenities. The output of the logistic regression result has it that an increase in firm size can improve the chances of SMEs fostering economic development in Obio-Akpor while increase in the salary of employees could also enhance the chances of SMEs to redress the rising poverty level too. The paper thus recommends that employment tax incentives should be granted to proprietors of SMEs and taming of the rising insecurity cases across the country. Received: 11 September 2021 / Accepted: 25 November 2021 / Published: 5 January 2022

Research on Segmented Belt Acceleration Curve Based on Automated Mechanical Transmission

An automated mechanical transmission (AMT) is proposed as a new soft starter for medium-scale belt conveyors in this paper. The AMT is used to start the belt conveyor and shift gears step by step to make the belt conveyor accelerate softly. Based on analyzing common soft-starting acceleration curves, a segmented belt acceleration curve is proposed as a new soft-starting acceleration curve. By analyzing the AMT soft-starting system, the system modeling is built and the AMT output shaft’s angular acceleration is proposed to be controlled to control the belt acceleration. The AMT soft-starting simulation model is established in the environment of AMESim, and simulation results of the soft-starting process from the first to eighth gear positions are given. The main parameter curves of the AMT soft-starting system including the belt, driving pulley, and AMT output shaft are analyzed. The simulation model can indicate the viscoelastic property of the belt. The simulation results prove that the segmented belt acceleration is appropriate for a medium-scale belt conveyor and provide a theoretical and reasonable basis for using an AMT as a soft starter.

SME Financing

Small and medium-scale enterprises around the world go through several challenges in a bid to achieve success. Many studies argue SMEs face challenges in different areas; some are critical for success whilst other are not. One of the critical challenges put forward by several studies is finding appropriate funding. Academics have described funds as the blood of every business and a key element that prescribes the supply of entrepreneurship. The challenge of funding remains a problem around the world both in developing and underdeveloped environments. The chapter provides insight into the funding issues faced by SMEs and provides practiced ways in which businesses in developing and underdeveloped environments can address the issue of funding.

Analysis of Small and Medium–Scale River Flood Risk in Case of Exceeding Control Standard Floods Using Hydraulic Model

Exceeding control standard floods pose threats to the management of small and medium–scale rivers. Taking Fuzhouhe river as an example, this paper analyzes the submerged depth, submerged area and arrival time of river flood risk in the case of exceeding control standard floods (with return period of 20, 50, 100 and 200 years) through a coupled one– and two–dimensional hydrodynamic model, draws the flood risk maps and proposes emergency plans. The simulation results of the one–dimensional model reveal that the dikes would be at risk of overflowing for different frequencies of floods, with a higher level of risk on the left bank. The results of the coupled model demonstrate that under all scenarios, the inundation area gradually increases with time until the flood peak subsides, and the larger the flood peak, the faster the inundation area increases. The maximum submerged areas are 42.73 km2, 65.95 km2, 74.86 km2 and 82.71 km2 for four frequencies of flood, respectively. The change of submerged depth under different frequency floods shows a downward–upward–downward trend and the average submerged depth of each frequency floods is about 1.4 m. The flood risk maps of different flood frequencies are created by GIS to analyze flood arrival time, submerged area and submerged depth to plan escape routes and resettlement units. The migration distances are limited within 4 km, the average migration distance is about 2 km, the vehicle evacuation time is less than 20 min, and the walking evacuation time is set to about 70 min. It is concluded that the flood risk of small and medium–scale rivers is a dynamic change process, and dynamic flood assessment, flood warning and embankment modification scheme should be further explored.

Perceived Influence of Business Environment on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Success in Nigeria

The study examined the perceived influence of business environment on the success of small and medium-scale enterprises in Osun State, Nigeria. The main purpose of the study is to determine the influence of business environment on the success of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study comprised all registered small and medium scale enterprises in Osun State. Two hundred and fifty-five (255) owners/managers of small and medium-scale enterprises were sampled for the study through, proportionate, stratified and systematic random sampling techniques. The instrument for data collection was “Perceived Influence of Business Environment on the Success of SMEs” Questionnaire (PIBESSMEQ). A reliability co-efficient of 0.70 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions while hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. Findings of the study revealed that business environment influenced the success of SMES to a high extent. Also, the study revealed that no significant difference existed in the influence of business environment on SMEs success in term of their location. Based on the findings, it was concluded that SMEs’ success could be better guaranteed with sufficient knowledge of the business environment. The study among others recommended that owners/managers of SMEs should always endeavor to increase their knowledge and skills to a maximum level in order to surmount challenges relating to business environment.