АНАЛИЗ СОВРЕМЕННОГО СОСТОЯНИЯ МАЛОГО И СРЕДНЕГО ПРЕДПРИНИМАТЕЛЬСТВА В РЕСПУБЛИКЕ КАЗАХСТАН

Object: Study the current state of development of small and medium-sized businesses in Kazakhstan and determine the mechanisms for the formation of a system of state support for entrepreneurship, taking into account the modernization of the Kazakh economy. Methods: The following research methods were used: statistical, systemic, synthesis and analysis (economic, statistical, comparative and descriptive). Findings: the obtained results of the research made it possible to determine the peculiarities of the functioning of small and medium-sized businesses in the Republic of Kazakhstan, to assess the modern system of state support for SMEs in Kazakhstan, to develop recommendations for improving state support for SMEs. Conclusions: Issues of entrepreneurship development in Kazakhstan have a special status. A targeted and consistent business support policy is one of the main priorities of the state, since it is the SME sector that should become a key driver of further economic growth. For the effective development of the country's economy, it is necessary to maximize the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses, because only thanks to this it is possible to achieve high indicators in all sectors of the economy and create a multi-layered market and industrial-innovative economy. However, small and medium-sized enterprises in Kazakhstan are characterized by low viability and require the development of effective measures to increase their competitiveness.

In this article, the legal regulation of innovative activity of small and medium-sized enterprises is considered. In the current situation, it is necessary to create a scientifically based theoretical base and a stable mechanism for stimulating innovative processes in the domestic economy, to study it from a legal point of view. High indicators of the development of innovative entrepreneurship are directly related to the degree of integration of small and medium-sized enterprises in the innovative sphere. Foreign experience shows that small and medium-sized entrepreneurs will be more profitable due to the introduction of innovations in their activities. In addition, the legal regulation of innovative activity of our small and medium-sized enterprises has not yet been sufficiently developed, which does not allow the development of the innovative system of the country. In this regard, the most urgent task in the field of law is the development of a legal project of innovative entrepreneurship and the determination of ways of further legal development of innovative entrepreneurship. Our country should create projects that stimulate entrepreneurs to engage in small and medium-sized businesses, provide cheap loans, reduce taxes, allocate subsidies, and attract foreign investors. Having studied the legal regulation of small and medium-sized businesses in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the authors considered the legal status of small and medium-sized business entities engaged in innovative activities, defined the concept and legal essence of "innovative activity", analyzed the legal protection of small and medium-sized innovative businesses in Kazakhstan and foreign countries, determined conditions of interaction with infrastructure support for small and medium-sized businesses. As a result of the research, proposals were made to improve the legislation of Kazakhstan in this area.

Expanding Partnerships for Small‐ and Medium‐Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Needed: The Right Kind of Support

Thearticlehighlightstheissueoftheinstitutionalstructureofsmallandmedium-sizedbusinessesintheRepublicofKazakhstan.Inparticular,theessenceoftheinstitutionalenvironmentofentrepreneurshipisdeterminedanditsdefinitionisproposedbasedontheanalysisofscientificsources.ThestructureofthesystemofstateregulationandstimulationofentrepreneurshipintheRepublicofKazakhstanisanalyzed.EstimatesoftheentrepreneurialclimateoftheRepublicofKazakhstanasanobjectofstateinfluencefortheformationoffavorableconditionsforthedevelopmentofsmallandmediumsizedbusinessesaregiven.Authornotestheimportanceofasystematicapproachtotheformationofthestatepolicytostimulateandsupportsmallandmediumsizedbusinesses.Thearticlerevealsthefeaturesofmanagementandstimulation,aswellasdeterminesthemainprioritydirectionsandtargetparametersforthedevelopmentofsmallandmediumbusinessfortheRepublicofKazakhstan.Purpose:themainobjectiveofthisarticleistostudytheinstitutionalframeworkfortheoperationofsmallandmedium-sizedbusinessesintheRepublicofKazakhstanandtoassesstheimpactoftheinstitutionalworkingenvironmentonthedevelopmentofsmallandmediumsizedbusinesses.Toachievethispurpose,thefollowingtasksweresolved:todeterminetheessenceoftheinstitutionalenvironmentofentrepreneurship;tostudythestructureofthesystemandthemechanismofstateregulationandstimulationofentrepreneurshipintheRepublicofKazakhstan;toanalyzetheactualstateoftheinstitutionalenvironmentofentrepreneurshipintheRepublicofKazakhstan;todeterminethetargetcriteriaforthedevelopmentofSMEsintheRepublicofKazakhstan.Methods:thisarticleisbasedonthemethodsofstructuralanalysisandofthesystemapproach.Results:today,smallandmediumsizedbusinessesarethemostpromisingactorsinthedevelopmentofapostindustrialeconomy,whereadvancedtechnologiesandinnovativesolutionsareapriority.Smallandmediumsizedbusinesses,bypropertyoftheirmobilityandflexibility,arethemostsusceptibletoinnovationandcanbeprovidersofhightechnology.Inaddition,theadaptabilityofsmallandmediumsizedbusinessesisafactorofrapidandtargetedresponsetotheslightestchangesinmarketortechnologicalconditions.Atthesametime,smallandmediumbusinessesareanimportantfactorinreducingunemployment(especiallystructuralandcyclical).Butatthesametime,smallandmediumsizedbusinessesneedprotectionfromthestate,sinceasmallamountofcapital,aswellasarelativelysmallamountofproductionofeachindividualsubjectofsmallandmediumsizedbusiness,causesinsecurityintheeventofamarketexpansionoflargebusinesses.Errorsinthesystemofstateregulationofbusiness(tighteningoftaxation,inexpedientlystringentregulations,etc.)cansignificantlyslowdownorevencauseareductionintheexpansionofentrepreneurialinitiative.Thus,thesearchforwaystoorganizethemostfavorableinstitutionalandmarketenvironmentforsmallandmediumsizedbusinesses(inparticular,priorityfortheimplementationofstateeconomicpolicy)isaprioritytaskofthestateregulatorysystem.Conclusionsandrelevance:theresearchcarriedoutwithintheframeworkofthesubjectofthisarticleshowsthattheinstitutionalenvironmentfortheoperationofsmallandmediumsizedbusinessesintheRepublicofKazakhstanisquitefavorable,becausethestateimplementsapolicyofmaximumfavortothedevelopmentofentrepreneurialinitiativeinthecountry.Moreover,bymaximizingitseffortstocreateaneffectivemechanismforstimulatingandsupportingsmallandmediumsizedbusinesses,theinstitutionalenvironmentisconstantlyimproving.Thisbringsitsresults,intheformofimprovingthegeneralbusinessenvironment.Atthesametime,therearecertainaspects,suchascustomsbarriers,thedificultyinobtainingvariouskindsofpermits(oftenthisisduetocorruptoficials).Therefore,theincentivesystemforsmallandmediumsizedbusinessesshouldincludeaneffectivemechanismtoensurecompliancewithrightsandprotectentrepreneurs.

South Africa is at present experiencing electricity shortages resulting in loadshedding. Loadshedding is the action from an electricity supplier (Eskom) of rolling power cuts that intend to lessen the load on the power supply system when Eskom is not able to supply a high electricity demand. Loadshedding remains one of the country's most critical challenges and has affected day-to-day business activities leading to some small businesses closing their operations. In developing economies, small businesses play a significant role in the wellbeing of rural dwellers and are a major tool for local economic development. At present, there is limited evidence in the literature pointing out the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Collins Chabane Local Municipality (CCLM) in terms of the effects of loadshedding but there is literature describing similar issues in other geographical areas. The exploration of the effects of loadshedding on SMEs in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality was crucial to empower small SMEs, cover scholarly gaps, contribute to policy development, and participate in academic discourse. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, adopting a triangulation research design. The sample consisted of 125 members of the target population, which included the SME owners/managers and officials from the Collins Chabane Local Municipality such as the Local Economic Development (LED) manager, Electricity manager, and a technician. The sample was selected using purposive, snowball non-probability sampling, and cluster probability sampling. A total of 100 respondents were selected for the quantitative study, while 25 participants were selected for the qualitative study. Therefore, 100 respondents completed questionnaires and 25 respondents participated in the face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analysed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS), while the qualitative data were analysed using the thematic method of analysis. According to the quantitative findings, loadshedding costs small and medium-sized businesses in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality an average of 61% of their total revenue. Additionally, 59% of these companies had to lay off their employees because they were unable to pay their wages. The Chi-square results demonstrate that loadshedding has been experienced uniformly by everyone, irrespective of their demographic and business demographic status. Therefore, demographics have no significant influence on the experience of loadshedding. The qualitative results reveal that the losses associated with the effects of loadshedding on SMEs’ production are untenable. There is an urgent need to alleviate the effects of loadshedding on SMEs. An alternative source of power is a requirement for small businesses in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality. It is for this reason that the South African government should grant small businesses a subsidy for the purchase of alternative sources of energy such as strong generators and solar panels to support them during periods of loadshedding. In addition, the South African government should encourage and capacitate small businesses in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality to participate in producing and supplying renewable energy by funding them, and further, foster cooperation among small businesses and companies that are successful in the production of renewable energy. This will assist in adding electricity generation capacity to the national grid and help eliminate electricity instability.

Purpose: the aim of the article is to analyze the existing programs and technologies in the field of financial incentives and credit support of business, as well as justification of qualitatively new methodological tools in the study area for its adaptation in domestic practice. Subject of the article is relevant because it is devoted to description of sources of financial incentives and credit support to small businesses, which are currently the engine of the modern economy. In the first part of the article, an overview of the financial resources and types of funding sources of organizations and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in major developed European countries is provided. Also a description is provided of modern methods of creation of an innovative climate, support innovative ideas and internal business. The second part of the article describes the direction, forms of financing small and medium enterprises (SME) in the major developed European countries, taking into account the peculiarities of the development and functioning. The possibility of using foreign experience in Russia is analyzed. The presented research topic is particularly relevant in connection to an increase in the role of sources of financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). In current economic environment exists the need to address problem of financial support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), attraction of new sources of funding, as well as the development of bank credit loans. Processes of market transformation of small and medium-sized businesses have acquired a special importance in relation to the defining role of these enterprises in the system of provision of the economic security of the country. Methods: the methodological bases of this article are the economic and statistical analysis methods, regulatory documents in the field of economic security, publications in the field of economic and financial security, public analyzes in the field of development of financial incentives and credit support to small and medium-sized businesses. Results: to improve the financial incentives and credit support to small enterprises it is necessary to study and use foreign programs in this area, in view of this author has identified and justified current trends of development. Conclusions and Relevance: the practical significance of the work lies in the orientation of the states, conclusions and recommendations aimed at the widespread usage, search and adaptation of sources of financing of small and medium-sized enterprises, which can be used by the legislative and executive authorities of the Russian Federation, in their current activities.

The economic security of small and medium-sized enterprises is an important component of the economic security of the state and reflects the causal relationship between the military and economic potential and national security and economic power of the country. The goal of the article is to identify the problems in forming the economic security of small and medium-sized businesses within the framework of the country's economic security. It aims to develop guidelines for overcoming the complex socio-economic situation, shaping the economic security of Ukraine, and promoting the interests of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Ukraine needs a well-thought-out policy to ensure the security of economic activity both at the state level and at the level of small and medium-sized businesses. The number of small businesses in Ukraine has been steadily declining over 2015-2022, which is a dangerous trend. At the same time, this situation did not affect sales volumes, as the growth rate of sales by small and medium-sized enterprises in 2022 continues to grow. This is due to the following factors: increased domestic demand for goods and services produced by SMEs, financial support, tax breaks in 2022, and other measures, a decrease in the share of large industry, and an increase in the share of small and medium-sized businesses. The problems of forming the economic security of the state and the economic security of small and medium-sized businesses have been identified. Guidelines for overcoming the difficult socio-economic situation and shaping the economic security of Ukraine and small and medium-sized enterprises have been developed. In order to protect the economic interests of the state, a certain set of measures and mechanisms for representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises is needed, especially in the case of developing solutions. To strengthen economic security, it is necessary to apply a strategy of adaptation to constantly emerging threats, which is largely complicated by the lack of a comprehensive policy in this area and the weakness of public administration. The main priority of the authorities in ensuring the economic security of the state and small and medium-sized enterprises in the future should be to reform the system of state regulation of socio-economic processes, to create an effective environment for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine.

In the context of external shocks, the main task of the state administration is to ensure the security and stability of the development of the Russian economic system. The predominant position in the Russian economy is occupied by the sector of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), the effectiveness of its development parameters is an important factor in economic growth. The importance of the SME sector in the economy is confirmed by the fact that the economic entities that make up it make a positive contribution to the innovative development of the national economy, participate in import substitution programs and contribute to job growth. An analysis of the specifics of the development of SMEs at the present stage has led to the conclusion that its role has increased significantly in recent years due to the restructuring of the Russian economy. A study was conducted on the number of SMEs and their contribution to the development of the national economic system, which made it possible to assess the scale of development of the SME sector in Russia. It was founded that the main form of financing the activities of SMEs was bank lending. The development of the bank lending system affects business activity and the introduction of modern technologies into the production processes of enterprises. The analysis of the dynamics of bank lending to the Russian SME sector has been carried out, and the coverage of lending by small and medium-sized businesses has been established. In the financial market, during the period of active anti-Russian sanctions, there has been an increase in lending by banks to SMEs, which is associated with the emergence of new opportunities for market agents. Concessional lending programs make a significant contribution to financing the activities of SMEs. Other forms of financing the activities of small and medium-sized enterprises have also been identified – preferential leasing and factoring. Conclusions are drawn about the relevance and expediency of developing forms of bank lending for SMEs in the context of the structural transformation of the Russian economy. Recommendations have been developed for the development of banking programs and a system of crediting the activities of small and medium-sized businesses.

Subject. Analysis of foreign and regional practice of supporting small and medium-sized businesses in the context of restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and the dynamics of the activity of small and medium-sized enterprises. Topic. Study the growth rates of small and medium-sized enterprises in several regions and assess the impact on them of the consequences of the pandemic. Purpose. Assessment of the activity of small and medium-sized enterprises during the period of introduction of restrictions caused by the pandemic and identification of the most popular practices for supporting entrepreneurship, the impact of government support measures on them. Methodology. Methods of statistical analysis of time series of dynamics of basic indicators. Methods of logical and comparative analysis of the support measures provided abroad and in the regions of Russia, including the Voronezh region. Results. Based on the analysis and assessment of the current situation, it was revealed that there is a downward trend among small and medium-sized businesses. This is due, among other things, to the consequences of the pandemic and the restrictions imposed in 2020. State support for small and medium-sized businesses included organizational and financial measures that could be taken advantage of by business entities from the affected industries, subject to certain conditions. Application area. The sphere of regulation of small and medium-sized businesses at the meso-level. Conclusions. The economic challenges that small and medium-sized businesses had to face dictated new business conditions. Government support has allowed many companies to stay on the market during a difficult period. Keywords: small business, small and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurship, government support, support measures, pandemic

The concept of national and regional development strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are studied for a long time, as small and medium businesses are the foundation of the economy and the basis for effective country functioning. The business development program of the European Union countries is particularly interesting because there are several levels that correspond to each other and give full effect on the SMEs development. The EU standards are higher than in non-EU countries; therefore, it is worth considering legislative documents, as well as statistics showing the indicators of openness and access to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The complexity and comparative novelty of studying such a problem in Ukraine led to the need to explore sources of information in the original language due to the lack of information in Ukrainian or Russian. All these suggest that the problem of creating strategies at the national and regional level is more relevant and important to study in the West that demonstrates the current state. The subject of the study is to analyse the effectiveness of implementing strategies for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as the impact of national and regional policies on their functioning and development in the European Union countries. Methodology. The authors highlighted the peculiarities and main features of the development strategies implementation for small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU countries through a comparative analysis of the legislative framework, statistical and other data that help assess the performance and effectiveness of the implemented strategies. The content analysis helps to identify peculiarities of the implemented strategies in quantitative and qualitative forms. The thorough analysis using the above-mentioned methods allowed doing a qualitative study of national and regional strategies in the context of the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the EU countries. Practical importance is that the results of this study will lead to a wider acquaintance with progressive strategic methods of management of small and medium-sized enterprises. This will enable the plan development of concrete actions to improve the efficiency of enterprise management in less developed countries. In turn, raising awareness on this issue will reduce the number of inefficient and non-innovative enterprises. Scientific novelty of the article is to determine the theoretical basis of the differences that at the current development stage are increasingly manifested as certain contradictions in the compilation and improvement of small and medium-sized enterprises, development of strategies at the national and regional levels. Small and medium-sized enterprises, in their turn, have a wider access to their development. Conclusions. As a result of the main development strategies of small and medium-sized enterprises of the EU countries, there should be identified the differences and common features of different strategies for innovations of small and medium-sized enterprises. The interaction of the national and regional strategy with actual results and existing strategies is explored.

The purpose of this work is to consider small and medium-sized businesses as an important element of the economic activity of the population of the Russian Federation. This paper analyzes the statistical changes in the number of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Russian Federation for the period 2017–2020, the dynamics of employment of small and medium-sized businesses, as well as the structure of small and medium-sized enterprises in the federal districts and performance indicators. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that small and medium-sized businesses have developed problems in their work, which now require a comprehensive analysis to improve the efficiency of the functioning of entrepreneurship in the Russian Federation. On the basis of the conducted research, conclusions about the reduction of small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation were made, and the prospects for the development of the system of state support for small and medium-sized businesses were presented.

The development of small and medium-sized businesses is the key to the successful development of a market economy. International experience shows that for the successful development and functioning of small and medium-sized businesses, it is necessary to create an effective legal framework, protect and provide appropriate legal and financial support from the state. The purpose of the article is to identify factors affecting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Kazakhstan, analyze the characteristics, trends and problems of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as develop proposals for improving the efficiency and financing of small and medium-sized enterprises in the current crisis of the global economy. The authors analyzed the dynamics of the activities of small and medium-sized businesses in different sectors of the national economy over the past 10 years and identified the main factors influencing its development, pressing problems and current trends. The study used various methods of dialectics: analysis, generalization, synthesis, induction, deduction, statistical data on the number of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2010-2020 and conclusions using the SWOT analysis method. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Kazakhstan since its entry into the domestic economy in March 2020 was considered. The study identified the following main problems that reduce the efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprises, such as: weak links between science and production, bureaucracy and inflexibility of administrative and state structures, insufficient efficiency of mechanisms for state financing of small and medium-sized businesses. The authors give recommendations on improving the efficiency of small and medium-sized businesses, as well as state support for entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan in the context of a pandemic and a modern recession.

The worldwide spread of the COVID-19 epidemic has had a significant social and economic impact on many countries. Malaysia had the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia before the epidemic, and it had been doing well for the last few years. Based on a forecast from the World Economic Outlook released in April 2021, real GDP growth is expected to fall. Therefore, COVID-19's impact on Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) becomes the focus of this study. The information was gathered using a questionnaire survey and interviews conducted in July and early August 2020. The SMEs were the focus of this study, which looked at their history, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on SMEs, particularly their reliance on internet distribution channels to keep their businesses afloat, and the government's economic stimulus plan for small businesses. The findings of this study show that COVID-19 has a significant influence on small and medium-sized businesses in various ways. They have shown that small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are affected by their type and size. This study found that the disruption of corporate operations, decreased product supply and demand, low production, financial instability, and a change to the digital distribution channel were among the effects. The study also showed the relevance of government help for the survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in times of crisis. Governments have significant ramifications in adopting policies that provide additional stimulus packages for small and medium-sized businesses, such as financing, advisory services, and training. On top of all that, governments should encourage non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide financial and non-financial help to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to help them deal with the difficulties brought on by COVID-19 through advice, training, counselling, and psychological support. According to the findings of this study, small and medium-sized businesses should take lessons from the crisis and come up with new plans and strategies to ensure their long-term viability.

The article considers the foreign experience of financial regulation of small and medium-sized businesses. Given the entry of the Republic of Kazakhstan into the world economy, the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the country will lead to active participation and assistance from the state. That is, in many countries today, much attention is paid to addressing issues related to the stability and efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, it is of particular interest to study the experience of foreign developed countries in supporting the development of small and medium-sized businesses. Taking this knowledge into account, it is necessary to determine measures and prospects for improving this area of activity in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The EU has a well-established infrastructure for supporting small and medium-sized businesses, for example, all EU member states have a well-developed network of both public and private financial regulation organizations for the development and support of small and medium-sized businesses. In the countries under consideration, many of the same features of state support systems can be noted. All this is due to the influence of globalization processes and the activity of organizations. In this regard, considering the experience of foreign countries is very important and most appropriate.

The importance of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan’s economic development is well documented [for example, in a recent article, Wu et al. (2006) examine the contributions of SMEs to Taiwan’s exports]. However, most studies on SMEs have not systematically examined the structure, people and entrepreneurial process of a typical small family business in Taiwan. More specifically, it would be fruitful to understand Taiwan’s family business in terms of economic sociology. Such approach on Taiwan’s SMEs has been conducted by Hamilton and Kao (1990), Kao (1999) and Chen (1994, 2001, 2007) in the tradition of Max Weber. This chapter attempts to formulate a structural model of Taiwan’s small businesses using theories of human agency given by Max Weber (1921/1968) and Alfred Schutz (1962, 1967, 1970). This chapter argues that a typical family business in Taiwan consists of three major components: entrepreneur or boss (laoban) (Sect. 2.2), boss’s wife (laoban liang) (Sect. 2.3) and core team (bandi) (Sect. 2.4). The trinity of these components typifies a small business in Taiwan. Moreover, underlying small businesses in Taiwan is the Chinese family style of management which enhances competitiveness and flexibility in global markets.