SMEs have too little influence on political decisions
SMEs find they have too little influence when policy decisions are made in their country. That's according to a study conducted by Sage, a provider of cloud-based accounting, payroll and payment systems, ahead of this year's World Economic Forum in Davos.
A survey conducted in November 2016 among more than 5,500 companies from 19 countries shows that 43 percent of entrepreneurs do not feel sufficiently represented by politics - and this in a year of political instability and change. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, 513 SMEs took part in the survey, of which as many as 61 percent felt insufficiently represented by politics. However, 42 percent of respondents in Switzerland felt that SMEs were well represented by politicians. This is the third-highest figure of all the countries surveyed; only in Australia (54 percent) and Brazil (59 percent) do SMEs feel better involved in political decisions.
Sage launches "Forum for Business Builders
Sage shared the findings of this survey at the launch of the Sage Forum for Business Builders. This forum aims to provide a platform for entrepreneurs around the world to make their views heard and share their experiences of hurdles and stumbling blocks they face as founders and business leaders on the corporate path. At the same time, the platform initiated by Sage aims to provide political support. To this end, a variety of events with a political background are held as part of the forum. The online presence of the forum can be accessed here: https://www.sage.com/company/business-builders
SMEs largely excluded from WEF
Stephen Kelly (pictured), CEO of Sage, criticizes the fact that SMEs are not involved enough in political decision-making: "Entrepreneurs are the builders of the economy, working day and night, creating two-thirds of all new jobs in the world's developed economies. But very often, when the world's policy makers discuss the global economic landscape, they are excluded from the discussion. This is evident year after year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where SMEs are largely excluded from the agenda." For this reason, Kelly said, Sage is also launching the Sage Forum for Business Builders to help change this unsatisfactory situation."
The other results for the DACH region show that the biggest challenge for SMEs in 2017 is government bureaucracy and legislation (23%), followed by the shortage of skilled workers (12%) and obtaining investment funds (financing and access to capital - 11%). Also, 11 percent of respondents cite entering international markets as a challenge.
Source: Sage
