Review article
THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN THE CROATIAN ECONOMY AND IN THE EUROPEAN UNION STATES ECONOMIES
Ante Bistričić
; Faculty of Maritime Studies Rijeka
Adrijana Agatić
; Faculty of Maritime Studies Rijeka
Zlatko Kuzman
Abstract
This paper aims at researching into the small business sector, regarding small and medium-sized entrepreneurship in Croatia. Specially reviewed are the characteristics of small businesses in the Croatian border states, which are already associated members of the European Union and as such operate on the single European Union market: Slovenia, Hungary and Italy. The following indicators – the number of registered small and medium-sized enterprises, the number of employees, the revenue and value added in small and medium-sized enterprises - are analyzed. The comparison of the mentioned data reveals that Croatia is behind these European Union states. Similarities of the small business sector in Croatia with those in the mentioned states are preeminent, as well as the necessity of an urgent adaption of our state to the European Union requirements. Particularly emphasized is the achievement of a better competitivness degree of small enterprises in Croatia to make them more capable for strongly competition on the single European Union market. One of the most important item is surely the awareness of economic policy makers about the importance of this sector, as well as the encouragment of development with concrete measures.
Keywords
entrepreneur; entrepreneurship; small business; small and medium-sized entrepreneurship; single European Union market
Hrčak ID:
69644
URI
Publication date:
27.6.2011.
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