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Business competitiveness has long been a subject of study and debate in the economic literature, which has pointed to various drivers of business development. Drawing on the Industrial Economics, the New Industrial Economics, and the Theory of Resources and Capabilities approaches, this paper sets forth a panel data econometric model with 2 671 Mexican micro-enterprises over four time periods, detailing the relationship between the competitive advantages of micro-enterprises and external and internal factors, such as the sectoral structure and the tangible and intangible assets of the economic unit. The principal results obtained suggest that the synergies needed for the development of the small-scale productive sector are primarily generated by way of intangible capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spanish social economy enterprises (SEE), like capital-based ones, have been facing a general economic crisis since 2008. SEE in the Murcia region are no exception. They are mainly small and mediumsized companies and because of their lack of size and structure they face considerable competitive difficulties in fighting this situation. This paper is based on a survey of 102 social economy enterprises in the Murcia Region, essentially labour companies and cooperatives in the service and industrial sectors, which was conducted in early 2010. To examine the situation in which companies from these sectors - mostly micro-enterprises - find themselves, information was collected on their main ratios in 2009, their expectations and their assessment of the competitive context and the main difficulties they face in the current situation of economic and social crisis. The extensive questionnaire made it possible to classify these enterprises into four types, based on the evolution of their main economic ratios (jobs, sales, investment and profits), and in a second stage, to consider the relation with whether or not the companies had adopted active innovation strategies and strategic planning. This made it possible to define the companies that had been able to improve or at least maintain the levels of their principal ratios even in times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneity of productive structure in Argentina distinguishes sectors with different levels of technological development and accumulation possibilities. "This calls into question the orthodox vision of a homogeneous capital structure and highlights the need for specific policies for each sector. The so called informal sector, made up principally of microenterprises with little or no surplus, is one of the most vulnerable sectors within Argentine productive structure. For this reason, we propose to examine the operation of this sector through a survey conducted with one hundred poor microenterprises in the south of Buenos Aires. By examining the results of the survey and through analysis of the public policies that have repercussions for the sector, policies are suggested that call for a departure from informality and an improvement in training and funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successful experiences in countries regarding company creation with a growing high potential show that some factors which have deeply contributed to survival are seed capital and the support they receive during the creation and maintenance of their own businesses. This study completed through documentation and interviews made to seed capital representatives existing in Colombia determine the offer of resources and the teachings those experiences leave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]