The state bureaucracy, high taxes, inability to collect claims within a reasonable time, unclear regulations and lack of networking are the main problems that plague small businesses in the region, according to a survey conducted by Business Cafe.
Respondents to the survey also said they believe that the main reason that prevents people start their own business is the fear of failure, followed closely by the lack of capital and frequent changes in legislation.
As the biggest problem for business they highlight state administration, the issue of debt collection and high taxes, but also the lack of entrepreneurial skills, lack of competent staff and lack of competitiveness of products.
More than half of respondents believe that their success was made possible through networking, with a lot of work and persistence.
If, as stated in the survey, they had a “magic wand” that could improve business conditions, small entrepreneurs would: simplify the paperwork, make it easier to close a business, establish a time limit for payment up to 30 days, work to educate the population on entrepreneurship since elementary school, establish a network of mentors, work on networking, the initial inspections would be advisory, all regulations and requirements would be gathered in one place, they would introduce continuously available counselors by telephone and online. Entrepreneurs also believe that it’s important to change the image of entrepreneurs in the public and that more positive entrepreneurship stories should be presented through the media.
The survey included 321 small business owners from five countries, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia.
The survey was conducted by Business Cafe, and data was collected and processed by the Sarajevo agency GMS.
The following Business Café gatherings will be held on 23 February in Karlovac, 25 February in Podgorica, 16 March in Sarajevo and Belgrade, and on 24 March in Zagreb.
Contact: Kristina Ercegović, EMBA kristina@zaokret.com +385 91 1555 228; +381 61 3142 446
Business cafe, Zaokret d.o.o. www.businesscafe.info
