Centro de Documentacion de Fundación MAPFRE - SMEs a 12-month retrospective : Zurich 2014 SME survey

Publication: Zurich : Zurich Insurance Company, cop. 2014Notes: Sumario: Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in most countries were once again focused on expanding activities to target new customers in their domestic market (23%) and diversifying their product ranges or services (21%). German and Italian SMEs were a noted exception, showing little appetite for growth in their home markets (14% and 11%). SMEs in Germany were primarily concerned with investing in business assets and operations while increasing prices and staff numbers. Italian SMEs cut prices and sought to further diversify their products and services. Companies in Latin America, notably Brazil and Mexico (40% and 33%), and in Australia (38%) reported strong wage increases but only modest increases in staffing. By comparison, APAC countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia saw higher increases in staff numbers and a lower share of wage increases. Countries such as Hong Kong, Morocco, Taiwan, Turkey and South Africa (21% to 26%) sought to expanding into new markets (exports). Within Europe, Germany and Austria mostly invested in business assets and operations (27% and 34%) with simultaneous increases in prices (20% and 29%) and staff numbers (19% and 33%). Only a minority of SMEs in all surveyed countries (between 0% and 10%) considered reducing their business offering or closing down the business. In Taiwan, no SME considered closing its business while in Austria and Morocco only 1.5 percent had considered such a step. However, in Spain, Australia and Mexico almost one in ten had done soÁmbito geográfico: InternacionalMateria / lugar / evento: Pequeñas y medianas empresas Crecimiento económico Internacionalización de la empresa Exportación Salarios Mercado de trabajo Encuestas Otros autores: Zurich Insurance Company
Secondary series: Risk nexus Other categories: 922.1