Supply-demand gap between small exporting creative firms and professional service providers

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have a large potential for growth through internationalisation (Onkelinx & Sleuwaegen, 2008). Also small creative firms can benefit from export-related activities but often lack the necessary managerial and legal background and therefore need external support to perform successfully (Nauwelaerts en Franck, 2007). The question can be raised as to which degree specialised services provided by accountants, banks and lawyers are valuable for creative firms with an export focus. Little is known about the content and intensity of specialised services in this context. In order to examine the fit between the supply of financial and legal service providers and the demand by creative entrepreneurs we investigate the contributions by professional service providers during five stages of export (Bilkey & Tesar, 1977; Gençtürk & Kotabe, 2001). Our study builds on previous research on critical success factors of small creative firms, on the value of network relationships for international market entry of small firms and on the role and impact of outsiders. Six propositions are empirically explored. We collected data on furniture designers by executing four case studies and a survey involving 47 companies. Our results demonstrate that professional service providers have to follow up the needs of their clients during all stages of export. Since professional service providers, more specifically accountants, banks and lawyers, are not specialised in creative business management issues, they have difficulties to detect business opportunities. Creative SMEs, from their side, have to learn to express their needs more explicitly in order to be able to get the appropriate support for their managerial and business issues.