The aim of this work was to identify and analyze the inner and outer causes, which may influence the success or failure of small to medium-sized enterprises located in the city of São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil. Such enterprises represent a fundamental pillar for the economy of all countries. In Brazil, its social and economical importance is confirmed by the following statistical indexes: the large percentage of workmanship and registered enterprises. However, most of the new undertakings do not last over the two first years of activity. In order to reach the proposed aim, first of all, the study of those causes has been conducted. Secondly, a field research has been carried out with the purpose of gathering information. With the support of explanatory methodology, bibliography and field research, a total of 656 enterprises have been analyzed through the information found in the records of enterprises provided by the Town Hall of the city of São José dos Campos. This research has identified various causes, which interfere in the management of such enterprises, and concludes that the cause for their premature death is due to several associated factors, which together accelerate such phenomenon. Among the main causes are, the lack of clients and working capital, the high tribute taxes as well as inadequate location. / O Objetivo deste trabalho foi de identificar e analisar as causas internas e externas que podem influenciar no sucesso ou no fracasso das pequenas e médias empresas, sediadas na cidade de São José dos Campos, estado de São Paulo. A pequena e média empresa representa um pilar fundamental para a economia de todos os países. No Brasil, sua importância social e econômica é confirmada pelos índices estatísticos: o grande percentual de mão-de-obra ocupada e empresas registradas. Entretanto, a maioria dos novos empreendimentos não completa os primeiros dois anos de atividade. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto, em um primeiro momento, fez-se um estudo destas principais causas. Em seguida, efetuou-se uma pesquisa de campo para a coleta de informações. Com o uso da metodologia explicativa, da bibliográfica e da pesquisa de campo, foram analisadas 656 empresas, utilizando para isto o Cadastro da Prefeitura Municipal da cidade de São José dos Campos, buscando maiores informações sobre as causas citadas. A pesquisa identificou várias causas que interferem na gestão das pequenas e médias empresas e concluiu que a causa da mortalidade prematura ocorre devido a vários fatores associados que, acumulados, aceleram esse fenômeno, sendo os quatros principais: a falta de clientes, a falta de capital de giro, a carga tributária elevada e a localização inadequada.

Företag, oavsett storlek, vill idag följa den digitala transformationen och höja den digitala mognadsgraden för att kunna få effektivare resultat samt nå de konkurrensfördelar som digitaliseringen kan medföra. Små och medelstora företag, så kallade SMF:s, påverkas av de förändringar som digitaliseringen medför eftersom de får helt nya möjligheter att delta i den globala ekonomin jämfört med tidigare. Denna studie kommer att utforska den digitala mognaden bland små och medelstora företag samt identifiera företagens utmaningar och efterfrågade stöd för att nå högre mognad. Studiens metod utgår från ett explorativt angreppssätt med en kvalitativ forskningsmetod och använder sig av en abduktiv forskningsansats. Både en strukturerad och en semi-strukturerad intervju används för den empiriska datainsamlingen. I studien intervjuas sju respondenter från olika små- och medelstora företag. Studiens analys undersöker hur företagens digitala mognad och utmaningar ställer sig mot teorier rörande digitalisering, digital mognad och digitala mognadsmodeller. Diskussionen belyser att de mer mjuka värdena som ledarskap, strategi och visionsarbete samt kompetensutveckling är utmanande för små och medelstora bolag. Dessutom diskuteras att små och medelstora bolags förutsättningar och resurser påverkar deras upplevda utmaningar samt vilka stöd som efterfrågas för att höja den digitala mognadsgraden. Studien visar att små och medelstora bolag har olika utmaningar för att nå digital mognad, men att de har viljan att höja mognadsgraden. För att höja mognadsgraden förutsätts att de har egna kapaciteter eller kan få förutsättningar i form av stöd och hjälpmedel för att prioritera transformationsinsatser och anpassa struktur samt kultur internt. / Companies, regardless of size, want to follow the digital transformation and reach a higher level of digital maturity. Because they want to achieve more effective results and gain the competitive advantages of digital transformation. Small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, are affected by digitalization and they are given new opportunities to participate in the global economy compared to before. This study explores the digital maturity of small and medium- sized enterprises and identifies their challenges for reaching higher maturity. Furthermore, the study distinguishes what kind of support SMEs are in need of to be able to raise their maturity level. The study method is based on an explorative approach with a qualitative research method and uses an abductive research approach with two types of interviews in the data collection, structured and semi-structured interviews. In the study, seven respondents from different SMEs were interviewed. The study's analysis examines how the companies' digital maturity and challenges can be linked to theories regarding digitalization, digital maturity and digital maturity models. The discussion highlights that softer values such as leadership, strategy and vision, as well as competence and digital knowledge are challenging for SMEs. In addition, it is discussed that the resources of small and medium-sized enterprises affect the perceived challenges as well as the support needed to increase the digital maturity level. The study shows that small and medium-sized enterprises have different challenges for achieving digital maturity. However, they also have the will to increase the level of maturity. In order to increase the maturity level, they must have their own capacities or get the capacities with external support. Then they will be able to prioritize digital transformation efforts and adapt structure as well as culture internally.

The aim of this study is to examine factoring as an option of finance for small businesses to make capital available to the cash account. Small businesses constitutes 99.4 percent of all enterprises in Sweden, and are thereby important actors of the community. Liquidity is the viability of a company; cash flow problems limits growth and is a common reason for bankruptcy. Factoring is a finance option which make capital locked in account receivables available. Through a qualitative study using interviews, the use of factoring has been examined amongst five small businesses in the construction industry. The results showed that factoring is a suitable option of finance for small businesses to attain greater value since it creates the right prerequisites. Companies use factoring when they have liquidity problems and an imbalance in cash flows. Positive aspects of factoring is especially its ability to quickly improve the cash flow. The negative highlighted is the cost, but they are considered reasonable. / Syftet med forskningen är att undersöka factoring som finansieringsalternativ för småföretag för att frigöra kapital till kassan. Småföretag utgör 99,4 procent av allt företagande i Sverige och är därmed viktiga aktörer för samhället. Likviditet är företags livskraft, problem med kassaflödet begränsar tillväxt och är en vanlig anledning till att företag går i konkurs. Factoring är ett finansieringsalternativ som frigör kapital som är låst i kundfordringar. Genom en kvalitativ studie, med hjälp av intervjuer, har nyttjandet av factoring undersökts bland fem stycken småföretag i byggbranschen. Resultatet av studien visade att factoring är ett lämpligt finansieringsalternativ för småföretag att uppnå ett högre värde eftersom det skapar rätt förutsättningar. Företag använder factoring vid likviditetsproblem och obalans i kassan. Det positiva med factoring är framförallt dess förmåga att snabbt förbättra kassaflödet. Nackdelarna som lyfts fram är kostnaderna, men dessa anses rimliga.

Le capital-investissement parait jouer un rôle essentiel dans la croissance des entreprises. Pourtant les liens entre modèles d'investissement et croissance restent mal compris. De plus, depuis quelques années, les doutes s’accumulent sur la compatibilité entre valorisation financière et développement pérenne et vertueux des entreprises, en particulier matures. Centrée plus spécifiquement sur le cas des entreprises de taille intermédiaire (ETI), cette thèse montre qu’une forme de capital-investissement, que nous appelons le « capital-régénération », demande à être mieux conceptualisée pour favoriser les dynamiques de croissance soutenables et outiller les politiques publiques en matière de financement des entreprises. Le capital-régénération, contrairement à la segmentation classique du capital-investissement, est moins lié au stade de développement des entreprises qu’à la nature de la croissance visée. Au lieu de porter sur une augmentation des performances à partir des produits existants, la thèse met en évidence une autre forme de croissance dite « générative », liée à l’innovation et qui s’appuie sur la dynamique de régénération des produits et des ressources de l’entreprise. A partir d’une analyse des besoins en financement des ETI, ainsi que de cas approfondis issus du portefeuille de Bpifrance, la thèse montre que le déficit de croissance des ETI ne s’explique pas par un défaut de capital (« equity gap »), mais plutôt par un manque de valorisation de la croissance générative par les modèles d’investissement classiques. La thèse explore alors comment, en s’appuyant sur des données existantes, il est possible d’enrichir les analyses en intégrant les capacités d’innovation des entreprises et les promesses de retours sur des produits encore à concevoir. Sont alors discutés à la fois les principes mais aussi les risques et les conditions d’un capital-régénération. Ce modèle, tout en expliquant une partie des difficultés des ETI à croître, ouvre des perspectives nouvelles sur les liens entre théorie financière et théories de la conception. / Private equity seems to play a key role in firms’ growth. However, the relationship between investment and growth remains poorly understood. Moreover, in recent years, doubts have arisen regarding the correlation between financial valuation and firms’ long-term and virtuous development - especially for mature firms. With a focus on French medium-sized companies (“ETI”), this thesis shows that a specific kind of private equity - that we propose to call “regeneration capital”- could be better conceptualized in order to support firms’ sustainable economic growth and to empower public policy with respect to corporate funding. Regeneration capital, unlike usual private equity asset class, is less related to the firm’s life cycle stage than to the nature of targeted growth. Rather than increasing the performance of existing products, this type of growth emerges from another growth dynamic, that we call “generative growth”, which results from the regeneration of the firm’s products and resources. Based on an analysis of the financial needs of medium-sized companies, as well as on an in-depth case study of medium-sized firms extracted from Bpifrance's investment portfolio, the thesis demonstrates that the growth shortage of medium-sized firms is not due to an equity gap. Empirical evidence rather suggests a lack of valuation of generative growth by traditional investment models. Drawing on existing data, the thesis hence investigates how investors’ financial analysis can be enhanced by integrating an assessment of firms’ innovation capabilities and of the return promises of yet unknown product to be developed. We then discuss the principles but also the risks and prerequisites of regeneration capital. This model not only explains part of medium-sized firms’ difficulties to grow but opens new perspectives on the relationship between corporate finance and design theories.

Companies cannot keep up with the change occurring in the ICT arena. As a result of companies being chased by an untamed animal namely IT evolution, they fear that they cannot run, as running feels like floating in air. This ICT evolution has become a fearful sight for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This research project acknowledges this fear and provides a conceptual framework whereby SMEs can familiarise themselves when engaging in ICT investments from a South African point of view. The data collected in this qualitative study is based on ten different SMEs as well as one larger company, to try and obtain a benchmark which SMEs can strive towards. The outcome of this research project allows SMEs to be less fearful when deciding on ICT and seeing how ICT can benefit these organisations. Copyright / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Informatics / unrestricted

The thesis is focused at the measurement of the benefit of modern technologies in relation to sustainable development for companies that are implementing the so-called Key Enabling Technologies, into their production processes. The multidisciplinarity of these technologies and their huge impact on societal and environmental challenges of the current society are the reason, why the companies implementing these technologies have to be assessed differently, more comprehensively. It is also proven within the detailed literature review. The aim of the thesis is to develop evaluation model of the benefit of modern technologies in manufacturing companies that reflects the aspects of the sustainable development. For this purpose, the relevant performance indicators have to be developed. The various statistical methods are applied, especially the structural equation modelling, in order to achieve the goal of the thesis. Finally, the pilot testing of the optimized model is realized on the specific company.

Growing number of SME restaurant and unsustainable food consumption creates a paradoxicaltension in the society from “Environmental sustainability” perspective. This paradoxicaltension requires every organizations to reduce their ecological footprint through minimizingits environmental effects. In Sweden, KRAV, a non-profit organization that sets organicagriculture standards, oversees certification for a variety of industry members, includingrestaurants. Previous research has focused on only CSR issues and only large multinationalfood chains rather than SMEs. While SME restaurants are less powerful on their own but theircollective impact on the environment and society is tremendous. Guided by qualitative data inthe form of semi-structured interviews were collected from SME sushi restaurant owners inUmea, Sweden. Firstly author has identified the motives of owners toward “environmentalsustainability” such as packaging, waste management, procurement, and environmentalcertification. Environmental certification has further classified into two motives one is basedon morality and another one is based on profitability & morality. Secondly, author furtherdiscussed the environmental certification that is based on both morality & profitability into twodimension such as “profitability” & “Legitimacy”. Thirdly, author represent the role of greenmarketing to achieve these two dimensions along with its benefits and challenges. Benefits andchallenges were discussed based on both “environmental certification (KRAV) and “Greenmarketing” perspective. Benefits such as “New customer segment”, “Brand loyalty”,“Competitive advantage” and “higher profitability” in the long run have been identified.Moreover, “Lack of awareness”, “attitude- behavior gap”, “inadequate use of technology”,“costly”, “SME restaurant type”, “unavailability”, “strict rules and restriction” and“insufficient financial investment” have been found as a major barriers or challenges to achieveKRAV certificate (environmental certification) and overall “Environmental sustainability”.With the help of a comprehensive literature review, the motivations and challenges of theseparticipants were identified and explored using a conceptual framework based on“Environmental sustainability” and “Green marketing”.

Diploma work analyses the business systems in the Czech Republic and in the European Union with the view to small and medium-sized enterprises in broadcasting sector. There are proposals for execution of projects financed by grants, funds and programmes by EU and ČR policy at the close of the diploma work .

The thesis analyses the current situation of a small company and describes a strategy of its future development. My proposal of the development and propagation of the confectionery manufactury is processed on the basis of the real data. The main goals are to obtain competitive advantages, to attract new customers and to improve the company standards.

Diploma thesis is concerned with business plan of creating production company solar resource. It specifies renewable resources of energy, business plan’s structure and analysis of external and internal environment of company in theoretical frame. Based on processing of critical analysis it proposes business plan of creating solar resource.