Parametric Conditions of High Financial Risk in the SME Sector

Abstract

The sector of SME is the major force for the national economic and social development. Financial risk is one of the key threats to the activity of small and medium enterprises. The most common manifestation of the financial risk of SMEs is difficulty in financing the business and lack of funds for development. Banks are unwilling to grant loans to such companies. Moreover, it is the rising operating costs that cause shrinking profits, which may result in corporate debt, difficulty in debt repayment, and consequently, high financial risk of these entities. Numerous differences in conducting the activity of small and large enterprises intensify this risk and mean that the model of credit financing for companies is not adjusted to the capabilities and principles of the operation of small enterprises. Therefore, risk management is one of the most important internal processes in small and medium enterprises. The identification of factors that affect the level of financial risk in these entities is therefore crucial. The main objective of this research was to analyze the impact of selected parametric characteristics of the SME sector on the intensity of financial risk they take. This objective was accomplished on the basis of the survey with the participation of Polish SMEs. In order to test the adopted research assumptions, the linear regression model was used with four continuous variables for each type of the identified financial risk. Based on the final research results, the logit model was obtained for the risk of insufficient profits. It was indicated that both the internationalization of the company and the ability to manage risk are the only factors that affect a high level of risk of low income. The article ends with the discussion and the comparison with some previous research in this area.