The purpose of this paper is to show how joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries contribute to building companies' competitiveness. It begins with a brief discussion of the theoretical approach to foreign direct investment (equity based modes). Next, the authors present the results of research carried out among Polish companies investing abroad during the period 2007-2008 by a team of researchers from Nicolaus Copernicus University. The research focuses on two main FDI entry modes and attempts to identify the relative impact of the entry mode on the competitiveness of investors. Although the level of international involvement of polish investors is still relatively low, their awareness of the benefits from internationalization is growing. Factors that may influence the choice of entry mode are studied, including the target host country, the economic activity of the company, the FDI diversification mode and the number of investment projects undertaken by a company, the latter a measure we take to reflect the international experience of the respondents. The research is also the first to highlight how the contribution to competitive potential may vary depending on the ownership structure adopted, offering a comparison of the relative benefits accruing as a result of internationalisation among companies operating on the basis of solo equity (wholly owned subsidiary or branch office), joint ventures or a mixed strategy.

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The context in which changing small business needs and the impact of government policies are making new demands on trainers are reviewed. The performance of the SME sector as a whole, and the survival and competitiveness of individual firms, are factors of critical importance in both developed and developing economies. This is recognised by the UK Government, which is adopting measures designed to stimulate the take‐up of services designed for the support of small firms. Thus, the SME sector offers a potentially large and relatively unexploited market for business trainers in which demand depends on the relevance of the supply of training as perceived by owner‐managers. The key to this market is the competence of small business trainers to design and deliver relevant products. This is an important determinant of the choice and quality of the support on offer to owner‐managers. An indicative survey of small business trainers in the UK shows that they themselves recognise a need to enhance their competence in both the design and delivery of products through continued professional development. The way forward for the professional development of trainers is discussed.

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