(Finance) – Although 2021 closed with a jump in revenues and profits for Italian small and medium-sized enterprises, a trend confirmed also in the first quarter of 2022, the “strong uncertainty” generated by the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine has “The commercial momentum of last year partially undermined, with orders canceled and hundreds of millions of euros in damages recorded between companies”. This is the photograph that emerges from asurvey by I-Aer, Research Center for Applied Economicsconducted on a sample of 809 SMEs, according to which, in addition to the pandemic and the conflict, there is a strong shortage of qualified personnel.
“The dangers on the horizon concern above all – underlines the scientific director of I-Aer, Fabio Papa – a 2023 made of extreme uncertainty, with a very high possibility of suffering significant slowdowns in terms of orders, at a cross-sectoral level “.
According to the results of the I-Aer Index, 74% of the SMEs interviewed recorded an excellent 2021, but there are sectors still suffering, above all, clothing-fashion and tourism. The recipe to follow, in a climate of uncertainty regarding the trend of raw materials and their very availability on the markets, – according to the research center – is first and foremost the monitoring of margins and the correct formulation of estimates, alongside the corporate strategy and the direction the company wants to take. Furthermore – the survey highlights – it is essential to have a “spasmodic attention” to continuous staff training.