The growth or performance of Micro and Small-Scale Enterprises (MSSEs) is widely recognized for their important contributions to economic developments in developing countries. Small and Medium-sized businesses (MMEs) in most developing nations encounter obstacles throughout and after the start-up process. This research aims to explore the determinants of the growth of MSSEs with a special emphasis on five work sectors: manufacturing, trade, construction, service, and urban agriculture in Dessie Town, Ethiopia.
The primary data was collected using a self-questionnaire from a sample of 218 managers/owners of MSE operators. Both descriptive and inferential analysis were used to analyze the collected data. Descriptive narrations were used to analyze qualitative data as a concurrent triangulation strategy. The sample respondents were selected using a stratified random sampling method based on the type of business sector. This practical study provoked nine major issues affecting the growth of MSSEs in town: political & legal factors, including bureaucratic bottlenecks system, the COVID-19 pandemic, working premises, market-related issues, road infrastructures, management system, technology-related factors, and entrepreneurial-related factors. The results show that linear and positive substantial to strong significant relationships or associations exist between some independent variables and the growth of MSSEs. Among the expected nine determinants of MSSEs' growth and performance, only political & legal-related, management-related, market-related, technology-related, infrastructure-related, entrepreneur-related factors, and COVID-19 pandemic were statistically significant. Besides, the nominated factors explained the total variations in the MSSEs' growth and performance at a 5% significance level. Realizing this conclusion, the government and non-government bodies and operators of MSSEs should give attention to management, marketing, technology infrastructure, and entrepreneur-related factors.