SMES

This study investigated the effect of leadership styles on business sustainability among SMEs in Benin City, Edo State. It aimed to evaluate the impact of transformational, transactional, and participative leadership styles on the long-term viability and operational stability of these enterprises. The research adopted a descriptive survey design, using structured questionnaires Ministered to 147 employees across four selected SMEs within the Ugbowo axis. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression techniques to test relationships and hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. The fiindings revealed that transformational leadership significantly enhanced business sustainability by promoting vision, motivation, and innovation, thus contributing to long-term growth and adaptability in SMEs. Transactional leadership played an important role in ensuring short-term stability and effective operational control but showed limited influence on sustained business growth. Participative leadership positively affected goal commitment and team involvement, though its impact was more effective when combined with transformational leadership practices. Based on these results, it was recommended that SMEs should prioritize developing transformational leadership competencies to inspire and motivate their workforce and drive innovation crucial for sustained success. Additionally, transactional leadership techniques should be integrated to maintain operational consistency and manage daily business challenges efficiently. Furthermore, fostering participative leadership by encouraging inclusive decision-making and employee engagement was advised to enhance collective responsibility and strengthen overall business sustainability

This study examines the impact of mentorship programs on the success of small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Benin City, To ensure a comprehensive analysis, the study surveyed Osa-RT ventures and Edo choice transport limited, located in Benin city. The researcher adopted questionnaire in collecting relevant i formation for the study, the analysis is based on responses from 49 participants out of the 50 questionnaires distributed, resulting in a 98% response rate. The study highlight key factors that contribute to effective mentorship and the challenges SMEs face in accessing these programs. The research employs a quantitative approach, analyzing data through Pearson correlation coefficients. Findings indicate a strong positive correlation between access to mentorship and SME success (r = 0.471, p < 0.01), demonstrating that mentorship significantly enhances business performance. Additionally, successful mentorship relationships are influenced by factors such as goal alignment, regular communication, and mentor expertise (r = 0.297, p < 0.05). However, SMEs face challenges in accessing mentorship due to lack of awareness, difficulty in finding suitable mentors, and financial constraints (r = 0.505, p < 0.01). The study further establishes that improving mentorship access correlates with better SME performance (r = 0.645, p < 0.01). Based on these findings, recommendations include It is important to improve awareness of mentorship programs through targeted outreach and marketing, Mentorship programs should be designed to ensure clear goal alignment and facilitate regular communication between mentors and mentees and Mentorship programs should be customized to meet the specific needs and constraints of SMEs.