SME Study 2018 with the latest figures from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO)
For the latest Swiss SME study, which is already the 6th edition of this study series, the 2015 figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) were evaluated with great excitement. The focus was on the effects of the Swiss National Bank's lifting of the lower limit for the Swiss franc/euro.
 SMEs, as well as start-ups, continue to dominate the Swiss corporate landscape. (Image: pixabay) |
| The latest edition of the Swiss SME Study, with figures collected by the BfS in Year 5, shows that SMEs continue to dominate the Swiss business landscape in terms of numbers. In particular, the number of businesses with fewer than ten employees is enormous. They account for almost 90% of all businesses and employ over 23% of all employees. A deeper look into the smallest firms shows: Although "only" 5% of all employees work in one-person firms, they account for half of all firms. Despite their dominance, it would be wrong to lump all SMEs together. Despite similar company sizes, there are huge differences. For example, the hairdresser, the bakery, the painter or the advertising agency around the corner are just as much SMEs as high-tech global market leaders in medical technology or drone manufacturing. For this reason, the differences in the sectors are also great, with micro-enterprises operating in every sector and every canton. 2015 was the first year after the Swiss National Bank lifted the Swiss franc-euro floor. What effect did this measure have on SME figures? In the short term, the impact on businesses was varied and highly sector-dependent. In particular, sectors such as the watchmaking industry, cheese and pasta producers, and wholesale and retail trade saw a sharp decline in employees in 2015, which was above average compared to previous years. The KMU-HSG and OBT have been dealing with the concerns and challenges of SMEs for decades, whether in research or in entrepreneurial practice. With this series of studies, based on the latest BfS figures, the authors aim to offer added value to entrepreneurs as well as society by providing an overview of SMEs in Switzerland and in international comparison. The Swiss SME study can be downloaded from www.obt.ch/kmu-zahlen or www.kmu.unisg.ch/kmu-zahlen can be downloaded. |
