What have the UK's smaller companies ever done for us?

The uncertainty around the Autumn Budget continues to produce more questions than answers for investors in UK smaller companies. This probably tells us we are not asking the right questions in the first place. Rather than dealing in speculation, perhaps we should focus on what we actually know. To that end, with due respect to Monty Python's Life of Brian, maybe the question we ought to pose is simply this: "What have the UK's smaller companies ever done for us?"  Below are just a few responses that existing and prospective investors alike might bear in mind. We believe they are worth...