Jaroslav Belás,

Department of Enterprise Economics,

Faculty of Management and Economics,

Tomas Bata University in Zlin,

SIGNIFICANT ATTRIBUTES

OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT IN SMALL AND MEDUIM-SIZED ENTERPRISES

Zlin, Czech Republic,

E-mail: belas111@gmail.com

Přemysl Bartoš,

Department of Enterprise Economics,

Faculty of Management and Economics,

Tomas Bata University in Zlin,

Zlin, Czech Republic,

E-mail: bartos@fame.utb.cz

Jozef Habánik,

Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín,

Fakulty of social-economics relationship,

Trenčín, Slovakia,

E-mail: jozef.habanik@tnuni.sk

Petr Novák,

Department of Enterprise Economics,

Faculty of Management and Economics,

Tomas Bata University in Zlin,

Zlin, Czech Republic,

E-mail: p.novak@fame.utb.cz

ABSTRACT. Aim of following contribution is to define and quantify selected attributes of the business environment in Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). In this context, our own research was prepared and gradually implemented, where the intensity of individual business risks, status, motivation, feelings of entrepreneurs in SME segment, relationship to the bank, state, society, and business optimism in the Czech Republic and Slovakia was analyzed. Due to the global financial crisis, conditions for SME business have worsened. Average decrease in the profitability amounted in 10.44% in the Czech Republic, and in Slovakia 12.01%. The most important business risk for SME is the market risk (lack of market space for the realization of own production). In the Czech Republic 79.44% and 80.49% of Slovak entrepreneurs reported market risk as a key business risk at present. The perception of entrepreneurs by the society and by the state is not good in both of countries. In the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, lots of firm owners have met with corruption and cronyism. Despite the deterioration in the business environment, Czech and Slovak entrepreneurs are very optimistic. Results of our research confirmed that there is necessary to form complex conditions for business development of small and medium-sized businesses in both countries.

Received: April, 2014

1st Revision: July, 2014

Accepted: October, 2014

DOI:10.14254/2071-789X.2014/7-3/2

JEL Classification: L26, O16, G21

Keywords: small and medium enterprises, business risks, status, motivation, feelings of entrepreneurs.