The Yinchuan Municipal Government spent 2.2 million yuan (US$346,000) this year to hire consultants for the city's small and medium enterprises in a bid to improve their management and drive growth.

Since 2010, the municipal bureau of industry and information technology has hired the Beifang University of Nationalities, Ningxia Professional Managers Association and other two institutes to advise local companies on challenges the developing firms encounter.

As of this August, the experts had provided management consulting services to 55 companies in fields such as manufacturing, marketing, human resources, market expansion and corporate culture, helping the companies formulate specific actions plans to overcome their difficulties.