About the Institute for Independent Business

The Institute for Independent Business (IIB) is a not-for-profit research and accreditation body established in 1984 to give independent businesses direct access to some of the world's top business people, and so bringing practical advice and timely ideas to their business.
The IIB is now the largest organization of its type in the world with over 4,500 fully accredited Executive Associates worldwide, working with businesses mostly within the small to medium-size sector.
IIB accredited Executive Associates are able to draw on one of the most comprehensive business support infrastructures in the world -  the Executive Associate network.

According to national statistics, 99.5% of all businesses in the economy employ fewer than 200 people, 98% employ fewer than 50 people, and 96.4% employ fewer than 20 people! Clearly, the economy is hugely reliant on the small to medium sized business. These figures illustrate the importance of providing high quality business advice to the sector rather than aiming initiatives at much larger companies who have the resources to buy professional directors and expertise as required.

However, business leaders in the small to medium-size environment do not typically have the luxury of this level of resource and expertise, and are generally expected to know everything, keep up with everything, and do everything themselves. Clearly, this is a very difficult and frustrating situation.

What about practical assistance?

Research, both by the Institute, and by several academic organizations, has indicated that the small and medium-size sector requires not only information and advice in order to survive and grow, but also practical assistance, preferably from more mature business executives who had "been there, seen it and done it." In order to be effective, a practical implementation phase is required. It is also evident that traditional pure consultancy is not generally appropriate as most larger consultancy practices are unable or unwilling to fulfill this need as their cost structures and style are generally not appropriate to this sector.

Who are the IIB Executive Associates?

All IIB Executive Associates are themselves senior executives from virtually every profession, background, and industry imaginable. Generally, all IIB executives are mature business people with over 20 years of senior management experience, usually as a Chief Executive or business owner themselves. Consequently, they have experienced first-hand the pressures, stresses and joys of running a business. Many have started up, run, and eventually sold their own businesses; others have run some of the best known businesses in the world.