Entrepreneurship in SME segment: Case study from the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Definition and comparison of the current business environment of the Czech and Slovakian SMEs in the selected regions are the main objectives of the article. In accordance with this objective motivational factors, status in the society, relationship to the state, level of the corruption, approach to loan financing, and business optimism in the business environment have been examined. In details, there have been quantified the differences between the trading companies and the others, between the companies over 10 years old and the others, and between the micro-enterprises and the others. There were compared the opinions of entrepreneurs who stated that their main motivation to start a business was money to the opinions of other entrepreneurs. Our research has produced interesting findings. It was found out that money is an important motive for starting a business, although there are some regional differences in this area. Entrepreneurs negatively perceive the relationship between surroundings and their activities, the relationship of the state to the business and corruption that they encounter while performing their business activities. The businessmen rather criticized the banks' approach of banks to fund their needs and at the same time they expressed a great deal of business optimism.Internal Grant Agency of FaME TBU [005/IGA/FaME/2014]; Project Current trends in the area of business risks of small and medium-sized enterprises in selected regions of the Czech Republic and Slovakia [FaME/2013/MSPRISK