This new provocation paper explores the overlooked role of nano enterprises in the UK’s creative economy (published March 2026).
Written by Mary-Alice Stack and Susie Warran-Smith CBE DL, Below the Radar highlights the thousands of creative “nano” businesses operating with 1–4 employees. While small in scale these enterprises make up a vital layer of the sector. They generate jobs, innovation and local economic activity but their needs are often overlooked in policy focused on high-growth start-ups and scale-ups.
The pamphlet sets out the case for recognising nano businesses as a distinct category, and for targeted business support that helps more of these fragile enterprises grow sustainably and cross the critical five-employee threshold, where long-term survival rates improve significantly.
Intended as a conversation starter for policymakers, funders and the creative community, the paper invites debate on how the UK can better support the smallest employers that underpin the creative ecosystem.