Good governance.
Stronger SMEs
A practical governance framework built for the realities of running a micro, small or medium-sized business.
Running an SME means making decisions every day about people, money, risk, growth and the future of your business.
But good governance should not mean more bureaucracy, more paperwork or trying to operate like a large corporate.
The SME Code™ is designed differently.
It is a voluntary, practical framework created specifically for micro, small and medium-sized businesses. It helps you understand what good governance looks like for a business of your size, identify where you are already strong and focus on the areas that could make your business stronger.
Practical. Proportionate. Built for SMEs.
What does good governance mean for an SME?
At its simplest, good governance is about how your business is led, how decisions are made, how risks are understood and how responsibility is shared.
Many SMEs already do elements of this well without calling it governance.
The SME Code™ brings those elements together into one practical framework, giving businesses a clearer way to understand, strengthen and demonstrate how they operate.
It is not about adding layers of process.
It is about helping good businesses become stronger businesses.
Built around the realities of SMEs
A business employing five people should not be expected to operate in the same way as one employing 200.
That is why The SME Code™ applies the principle of proportionality throughout.
The expectations develop with the size, complexity and maturity of the business, making the Code relevant whether you are leading a micro business, building a growing team or managing a more established SME.
MICRO
Fewer than 10 people
Simple, practical foundations for leadership, decision-making and accountability.
SMALL
10–49 employees
Governance that develops as teams, responsibilities and business complexity grow.
MEDIUM
50–249 employees
Stronger structures for leadership, oversight, risk and organisational accountability.
Designed to be used, not sit on a shelf.
The SME Code™ is intended to turn good governance into practical action.
It provides a common framework through which SMEs can look at how they lead and operate, identify opportunities to strengthen their business and build capability over time.
No unnecessary complexity.
No one-size-fits-all model.
No expectation that an SME should govern itself like a listed company.
Just a clearer, proportionate approach to building a stronger business.
A stronger SME economy starts with stronger businesses.
The ambition behind The SME Code™ is bigger than a framework.
It is to make good governance more accessible across the SME economy, giving businesses a practical foundation from which to make better decisions, manage risk, develop people, build trust and grow sustainably.
Good governance should not be reserved for big business.
The SME Code™ is designed to make it work for yours.