60% of small businesses did not see opportunities for themselves in the sanctions crisis

In RUSSIA, 60% of small and medium-sized companies do not see the current crisis as a time of opportunity for their business, according to the survey. But the proportion of those who do not allow business closures this year,

The majority of SMEs (60%) do not see opportunities for their companies in the current crisis. This is evidenced by the results of the April survey conducted as part of the RSBI index (a monthly study of business sentiment of small and medium-sized businesses, RBC has the results).

Respondents were asked the question: “Do you agree with the statement that the current crisis is a time of opportunity for your business?” Every third entrepreneur (34%) stated that he did not agree, and every fourth (26%) chose the answer “rather disagree”.

The largest share of skeptical businessmen (“disagree” and “rather disagree”) is among micro-companies (63%). In the small business segment, 60% of the respondents did not agree with the statement about opportunities, and in the medium business segment, 56%.

Only every tenth representative of SMEs (11%) expressed full agreement with this statement, and 28% chose the answer “rather agree”.

it is easier for medium-sized enterprises to occupy niches that have been freed from the suspension of activities or the departure of foreign companies due to the scale of production, the survey says. At the same time, it is more difficult for microbusinesses to work in new directions due to the lack of resources and less flexibility.

“Any global crisis is always a time of opportunity for the country, for everyone. Not to miss them means to be determined, make decisions and act,” First Deputy HEAD of the Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko said this month. “Western companies that have decided to leave the Russian market are actually freeing up niches for our entrepreneurs. They give a chance to expand the offer of their products. After all, as you know, the market does not tolerate emptiness. This is our time of opportunity to create our own products and train our personnel,” Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin noted in April.

Last year, against the backdrop of the pandemic crisis, President Vladimir Putin expressed a similar idea . Let's remember something else from Chinese wisdom: the word "crisis" consists of two hieroglyphs - "danger" and "opportunity". As they already say in Russia, fight difficulties with your mind, and experience with dangers, ”he said then.

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The RSBI Index is a monthly survey of business sentiment. Owners and top managers of 1,831 small and medium-sized businesses from all regions of Russia took part in the April survey.

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Assessments of the economic situation

According to more than half of the entrepreneurs surveyed (57%), most sectors of the Russian economy will suffer from the imposition of sanctions. The share of such assessments increased by 7 p.p. compared to a similar survey in 2014 (then the first large-scale sanctions were imposed against the Russian economy ). In parallel, the share of optimistic businesses also increased: 37% of entrepreneurs consider the economic effect of the imposition of sanctions to be positive, and this, in their opinion, will be expressed in the strengthening of most sectors of the economy. The share of respondents who believe that economic sanctions will not affect the economy in any way has decreased from 20% in 2014 to 5% now.

Entrepreneurs assess their current state as fairly stable: 77% of respondents do not allow the possibility of closing a business this year, which is the highest indicator since the beginning of the pandemic. Only 6% of businessmen said they could liquidate the business if the economic situation does not improve.

At least a third of small and medium-sized enterprises noted a strong dependence on "Western" imports. The greatest dependence is recorded in the medium-sized business segment: the activities of half of such companies are completely or significantly tied to the import of foreign products. Among micro and small businesses, the dependence is felt weaker, since they are mostly service-based enterprises, the survey explains.

Speaking about the problems that businesses faced due to sanctions when purchasing goods, 75% of respondents highlighted the increase in purchase prices, 43% noted difficulties with logistics, 42% spoke about the shortage of imported goods.