The Influence of External Factors on the Development of Small and Medium Businesses in the Russian Federation

Abstract

The development of small and medium-sized businesses, shaping the market structure of the economy, ensures the growth of production of goods and services, their saturation of the market, and solves a number of social problems. Under certain prerequisites, small and medium-sized businesses can become a driver of sustainable economic development and an increase in the “stratum” of the middle class, which predetermines its state support. Despite the importance of SMEs for the national economy, this sector of the economy remains the most vulnerable and subject to the influence of the external environment. For example, many small companies, which traditionally have weak immunity to negative market fluctuations, barely withstood the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the study, an assessment of the influence of external factors on the volume of activities of small and medium-sized businesses in the Siberian Federal District was given, monitoring and timely response to changes in which will allow managing to provide timely support for small businesses.