The Corporate Finance Observatory publishes its 2024 annual report: “The situation of VSE-SMEs, assured financing but significant structural challenges”

For the year 2024, the report “The situation of VSE-SMEs, assured financing but significant structural challenges” focuses on the following findings:

• The situation of VSE-SMEs remains generally resilient in the face of crises and they continue to benefit from generally well-assured financing;
• The entrepreneurial dynamic is maintained but the failures are characterized, coming out of the Covid crisis, by increased impacts following the increase in the share of larger companies concerned;
• The challenges linked to the transfer of businesses and the permanence of significant structural issues affect the entrepreneurial fabric, notably with a deficit in competitiveness and declining labor productivity, with numerous small businesses representing a lower share of added value than in the other major European countries as well as a distribution of added value highlighting weaknesses;
• The slowdown in economic activity in 2024, likely to weigh on the situation of businesses, reinforces the need for support for VSEs and SMEs and the need to raise awareness of existing systems for early detection and support for business difficulties. . In this regard, the report highlights the usefulness of the manager’s toolbox at the different stages of the company’s life, which points to the different anticipation, support and prevention systems that can be mobilized in the face of difficulties.

+ To view the report, go here.