Mahmoud Goodarzi - Professor of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Hosein Ghorbani - Ph.D. of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.
Ahmad Mahmoudi - Assistant Professor, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Saman Mehri - Ph.D. Candidate, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Small and medium industries are considered as the critical platforms for entrepreneurship growth. Examining and identifying initiatives for developing small and medium-sized sports businesses in Iran can greatly contribute to the progress of this field. Therefore, this research aims to identify the initiatives for the prosperity of small and medium sports businesses in Iran. This study is a qualitative and exploratory research. The participants included faculty members in sports management, marketing, and managers and other sports experts interviewed through a purposeful sampling approach. To collect data, in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted and finally theoretical saturation was achieved with ۲۵ interviews. To analyze the data, the thematic analysis method was used. The results show that the initiatives for developing small and medium-sized sports businesses in Iran consist of five main categories, including “economic measures, communication-information initiatives, practical training, support structure, and internal organizational policies”. Finally, according to the initiatives for the prosperity of small and medium sports businesses, it might be necessary to implement the necessary measures and appropriate programs in this field to deal with the situation efficiently.

Business support, Entrepreneurship, Sports SMEs, Sports Industry