General Findings
The European Commission has a set of actions to assist finance for pioneering and growing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This includes making finance systems more friendly for start-ups growth and involving more risk capital investments.
Through the Europe financial instruments of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Program (CIP) a sizeable amount of money has been made accessible to help SMEs across the Europe to access loans and equity to expand and increase their business. These Europe financial instruments are operated by the EU Investment Fund (EIF) in cooperation with national, regional and local financial institutions, which include the interface with the consumer groups.
There are also other EU agendas with actions specially planned for SMEs: Seventh Framework Program for research and technological development, Jeremie program and Eurostars project.
What is Europe Finance Day for Small enterprises?
Europe Finance Day for Small enterprises is a serie of actions in the Member States that the European Commission is organizing to notify about the EU financial tools for SMEs in cooperation with the national financial intermediaries in charge of these instruments locally. The aim is to keep SMEs updated about different supplies of finance. The second purpose is to offer a forum for sharing good practices in helping pioneering Small businesses get easier approach to finance.
Know the right people for your business like lecturers from:
* EU Investment Fund (EIF),
* Enterprise Europe Network,
* EU Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA),
* EU Business Angels Network (EBAN),
* European Association of Mutual Guarantee Societies (AECM),
* national and regional financial intermediaries,
* organizations representing Small businesses.
When do these European financial events take place?
So far, there has been One-day events organized in all Member State capitals from 2008 until mid 2010. Catalyst Entrepreneur -Website localization can keep you informed about what the agenda of these European events.
Who can attend these financial events?
All business actors including organizations can be represented in these events without any condition of size or turnover. Your company needs however to be located in the European Union: Small enterprises, financial organizations and financial advisers, policy makers in national governments or regional authorities, chambers of commerce, local venture capital and business angels associations, business organizations, entrepreneurs, incubators, spin-offs, organizations and networks promoting innovation and other similar organizations.
Why do these European financial events occur?
When launching or even after a few years of existence, Small businesses regularly face a number of problems connected to the need of capital.
On top of lack of financial capacity several other shortages could hold back Small businesses growth:
- Lack of human resources,
- Experience,
- Expertise in certain fields such as Free translation online,
- Lack of business contacts.
Various reasons can explain business failure but there is a EU common concern in reducing obstacles for start-ups and small enterprises with development potential. One of the most important concern is to facilitate the access to suitable finance.
The EU Commission has developed a number of actions aimed at resolving these problems, and more details can be accessible on EU Portal for Small businesses.
This EU financial initiative offers all EU entrepreneurs a special place where they can ask for guidance and profit from a wide range of easily accessible business support services such as Website translation.
Tags: europe, small business, web localization, website localization, website translation
Posted in Finances · February 5th, 2010 · Comments (0)
Guarantee reasonable competition in the EU market?
A competitive and open European Market ensures the best assurance for EU Small Businesses which inquire about growing their efficiency and innovative ability. The European Union has therefore set up a durable competition policy that watches over Small Enterprises versus dishonest practices by further enterprises.
Though it will not reduce its scrupulous devotion to free competition in Europe, the Commission is updating the regulations to persuade state and regional administrations to re-channel open grants further. The purpose is to keep on reducing contentious and competition-distorting contributions to national aces, and instead support procedures which actually contribute to improving growth and creating employment. Since the greatest potential for new jobs and growth lies in Europe?s Small Businesses, smaller firms will be the first to benefit from this tactic.
What can the EU do for SMEs?
Protecting Small Businesses against misuse by dominant companies:
One particular field on which the EU Commission focuses on is preventing leading companies from abusing their market influence to stifle smaller competitors. This sort of abusive exercise is prohibited under EU rule. The European Commission is paying special attention to complaints made by Small Businesses in this area.
Mergers that build or reinforce a dominant position are also banned to maintain a suitably high level of competition. Only mergers beyond certain threshold need to be notified to the European Commission for authorization. Therefore, mergers between Small Enterprises are generally not subject to the European union measures.
Checking cost fixing:
Some deals between big enterprises can also impair EU competition and would disadvantage Small Enterprises. The most frequent example is price arrangement when businesses fix price levels jointly so that customers cannot use the competition between suppliers to benefit from better prices. On the other hand, agreements between SMEs are to a large extent exempted from the prohibitions set out by the European union treaty.
Directing state support towards real needs:
The EU?s state aid plan tends to deal with SMEs favourably, identifying the specific difficulties they come across because of their size. Small Enterprises are allowed to benefit from higher proportions of state support than larger businesses in many areas (investment, training, R&D, environmental protection). They may also benefit from certain types of support aimed at addressing their specific needs especially for consultancy services.
EU Member States can grant aid to Small Enterprises without the need to advise the Commission, through the exemption convention. The Commission?s new state aid Action Plan reinforces this approach.
Last but not least, the EU Commission?s slogan is ?less aid, but better targeted?. National and regional governments have to concentrate their financial intervention in the private sector on promoting jobs and growth. Since Small Businesses have a great role to play in promoting jobs and expansion, public support targeted at addressing the market failures Small Businesses encounter is therefore considered to be a ?better targeted? measure.
Locate your Small Enterprise in Europe.
If you run a small business or start-up and want to expand your business in the European Union, you also need to consider the different European cultures and languages in order to get your message right from the start. Catalyst Entrepreneur Web localization consultants
help you to avoid the language barrier using Free website translation.
And your business will develop a successful International marketing strategy and prevent language issues with Catalyst Entrepreneur Free translation online expertise.
Tags: europe, small business, web localization, website localization, website translation
Posted in Business · February 3rd, 2010 · Comments (0)