Entrepreneurs Speak Out. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

Transcription

1 Entrepreneurs Speak Out Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

2 Forward Bogdan Ion Country Managing Partner EY Romania The entrepreneurs play a vital role in any healthy economy. Within the last years, especially in a difficult economic context, their role became more and more visible in the eyes of the authorities and for the Romanian public. The awareness of their relevance in the economy increased: entrepreneurs hire when few business people consider this option, they are those who see opportunities in economic downfall and who invest during recession. This is the reason why, supporting the entrepreneurs and those who are thinking of becoming entrepreneurs is one of the measures which can create a strong foundation for economic growth. And, according to EY The Power Of Three - G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 2013, the governments and those responsible for public policies are paying increased attention to the entrepreneurs needs, through specific programs and public initiatives. EY has been supporting entrepreneurs from all over the world for more than 30 years, offering dedicated services and competencies. We are committed to do this also in Romania. Also, we reached the second edition of the Entrepreneurs Speak Out Entrepreneurship Barometer, a project developed by EY Romania in order to support and promote successful businesses and the principles that made their performance possible in Romania. I want to thank Romanian Business Leaders Foundation for their support and collaboration in conducting this study. 1 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

3 Entrepreneurs speak out - A call to action Romanian entrepreneurship One of the main conclusions of our first edition of The Entrepreneurship Barometer, issued in 2013, was that Romanian entrepreneurs lack relevant information about sources of financing, organizations that support entrepreneurship, specific entrepreneurial education and training. However, this year s barometer indicates a higher degree of information, especially regarding sources of financing. Also, funding continues to be one of the most important challenges for the Romanian entrepreneurs: 88% of them consider access to funding difficult or very difficult. At the same time, the Romanian entrepreneurs believe, as in the previous editions, that entrepreneurship and business failure are negatively perceived in the Romanian society, 81% of them considering business failure a barrier for future business projects. In this context, in order to generate change and to develop the Romanian entrepreneurship, it is vital to monitor the performance of measures dedicated to entrepreneurs and to understand local entrepreneurs needs. This is the reason why we publish the second edition of the Entrepreneurs Speak Out - Entrepreneurship Barometer in Romania The Barometer represents the voice of 106 Romanian entrepreneurs (with companies in different stages of development, from startups to mature ones) who answered to an online survey. The study is also based on 10 direct interviews with successful Romanian businessmen, and also on quantitative and qualitative insights from The World Bank, OECD and the Romanian National Institute of Statistics. The conclusions of the study must be seen as an opportunity and a challenge for the state institutions, credit and financing institutions and for all the stakeholders, including the entrepreneurs. By taking actions in the areas where the study shows that entrepreneurs are not supported enough, the entrepreneurial environment could be strengthened, while the Romanian economy could be revitalized more rapidly. The Entrepreneurship Barometer may even represent an instrument for the government to tackle barriers which prevent entrepreneurial success and the formation of a strong entrepreneurial environment in Romania. We emphasize that the small sample of answers indicates that results of the study cannot be considered exhaustive, but can be taken into account as a snapshot of what some of the most active Romanian entrepreneurs think about financing, entrepreneurship culture, education and coordinated support and tax and regulatory frameworks for entrepreneurial companies. 88% of entrepreneurs consider access to finance difficult or very difficult 94% of entrepreneurs think that regulatory and tax environment should be more predictable 81% of entrepreneurs consider business failure to be a barrier for future projects Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

4 About Entrepreneurs Speak Out The Entrepreneurship Barometer The Entrepreneurship Barometer is a yearly perception barometer that aims to explore and articulate in a direct manner the issues, expectations and needs of Romanian entrepreneurs, based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the Romanian entrepreneurship environment. Our focus on entrepreneurship aims also to emphasize how policy makers could crucially assist entrepreneurs in Romania, thus supporting new business generation, economic growth and job creation. However, the study emphasizes not only what the government can do, but also what entrepreneurs can do to seize opportunities. At the same time, Romanian entrepreneurs that have created successful businesses share with us their entrepreneurial story, the challenges of the Romanian entrepreneurial environment as they perceive them and measures that they recommend for improvement. Provide a simple tool to measure the competitiveness of the Romanian entrepreneurship environment Provide year-on-year figures to measure progress Simple and recommendation-oriented indicators Goals: The analysis is focused on five fundamental factors: entrepreneurship culture, access to funding, regulation and taxation, education and training, and coordinated support from specialized associations. Our approach is based on: The opinions of entrepreneurs regarding the progress and impact of specific enablers Quantitative economic and social indicators Best practices identified in other countries for developing entrepreneurship to be applied in Romania. Our barometer sums up the perceptions of 106 online surveyed entrepreneurs and 10 directly interviewed wellknown Romanian entrepreneurs. This Barometer follows a global initiative of EY. Its first edition was published on the occasion of The G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit (31 October - 2 November 2011) in Nice, France. The second edition of the G20 Barometer was issued in august The EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 2013 study analyzes individually and jointly the entrepreneurial ecosystem in G20 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States and European Union. The entrepreneurial development framework: five pillars that foster entrepreneurship Access to funding Seed Start-up Expansion Capital growth Tax and regulation Taxation incentives Ease of starting a business Business-friendly legislation/policies Coordinated support Mentors, advisors, networks and clubs, Business incubators, clusters, parks and business centers Education and training Pre-university education University education Entrepreneurship-specific training Informal education/lifelong learning Entrepreneurship culture Tolerance of risk and failure Preference for self-employment Innovation and research culture Celebration of self-made wealth 3 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

5 Why are the entrepreneurs important and how can they be helped? Entrepreneurs provide one of the main engines of growth and are a key source of jobs 1. Across the EU as a whole, entrepreneurs supplied 67% of all jobs in In China, they provide 75% of all jobs 2. In the US, start-ups and firms less than 5 years old account for nearly all net job creation over the past three decades 3. In Romania, according to OECD, SMEs contribute with 66% of the total number of employees from private companies. 1 Ecorys, EU SMEs in 2012: at the crossroads. Annual report on small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU, 2011/12 (ECORYS Nederland BV, 2012) p Ministry Of Commerce People s Republic Of China website, english.mofcom.gov.cn, accessed 3 July D Stangler and P Kedrosky, Neutralism and Entrepreneurship: The Structural Dynamics of Startups, Young Firms, and Job Creation (Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 2010) p. 13. I am an innovator, I develop new products and services, I apply efficient production methods and I create new business models. I am eager to learn, I network. I think globally and make a significant impact on my communities through creating jobs and bolstering economies. I need a more supportive culture 52% expect improved communication of successful entrepreneurial stories to have a major impact on the entrepreneurial culture I need a streamlined tax and regulatory system 43% of entrepreneurs are unsatisfied with the level of fiscal policies, fiscal uncertainty and bureaucracy I need a simplified fiscal environment 91% 29% need taxes and regulation to be simplified 88% I need support from the government I need help to access funding of entrepreneurs say that access to funding is difficult or very difficult I offer mentoring in order to help other entrepreneurs develop 80% are mentoring in a formal or informal environment of them consider that SME credit schemes would be the most effective I need a predictable fiscal environment 94% of the entrepreneurs advocate for a more predictable tax and regulatory environment I need society to tolerate failure 81% say that failure in business is perceived as a barrier for starting a new business, a career failure or a lack in necessary abilities Source: Entrepreneurs Speak Out - Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

6 The economic impact of SMEs The figures indicate that countries with strong support for entrepreneurship benefit from an increased level of new business generation. By matching the best rankings in the EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 2013 with the number of new companies created in those countries, we can conclude that countries with a friendly regulatory, financial, educational, cultural environment for entrepreneurs have the greatest business generation rate. Countries ranked highest (e.g. Great Britain, Canada and Australia) have the largest density of companies. On the other hand, many economies experiencing rapid growth, where entrepreneurship is not yet well developed, like Argentina, India and Brazil, neither registered a high rate of new created companies, nor a good position in the EY ranking. The conclusion is clear: the countries that manage to improve the conditions offered to entrepreneurs can expect an increase in the number of created companies, as more people will consider entering entrepreneurship as convenient and more accessible. One of the main drivers of stimulating business creation is the role of entrepreneurs in economic growth and creation of new jobs. SMEs (companies with less than 250 employees) represent the majority of the companies in economy and are those which provide the highest rate of employment. Among OECD countries, SMEs represent 99% of the companies and employ 2/3 of all hires 1. In Romania, SMEs employees represent 66% of all jobs in private companies. Moreover, those companies create twice as many jobs as mature companies. In the European Union, between 2002 and 2010, 85% of employment growth was provided by SMEs 2. 1 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Issues Paper 1: Innovative SMEs and Entrepreneurship for Job Creation and Growth (Bologna+10 Meeting Brief, EIM, Do SMEs create more and better jobs? (EIM Business & Policy Research, 2011). SMEs contribution to total number of employees in the private sector Up to 250 employees More than 250 employees Romania 66% 34% United States United Kingdom 50% 53% 50% 47% Turkey (2009) Spain Slovenia Slovak Republic 69% 75% 72% 72% 31% 25% 28% 28% Russian Federation 29% 71% Portugal Poland Lithuania Italy Hungary Germany Czech Republic Bulgaria Belgium Austria 79% 68% 75% 80% 72% 63% 70% 76% 69% 68% 21% 32% 25% 20% 28% 37% 30% 24% 31% 32% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: OECD, Entrepreneurship at a Glance OECD Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

7 A call for action A common effort is needed for the improvement of entrepreneurship environment The entrepreneurs are extremely motivated, innovative and are able to find resources to face any context. However, if the fiscal, regulatory, funding, cultural and educational environment were friendlier, more people would have the courage to start a business, contributing to the Romanian economic competitiveness. In order to remove barriers, a common effort is needed not only from those who set the public policies, but also from investors, entrepreneurs, journalists, teachers, specialized associations and corporations. A common effort is needed for the development of entrepreneurship: Investors School and education Entrepreneurs Press Culture Companies Government Regulatory bodies Specialized support bodies In an environment with a high degree of uncertainty, entrepreneurship starts gaining ground, specifically in the area of technology. We see more and more young people trying to develop a new product on their own, targeting the international markets and, rarely, the local one. More often, Romania is the market where the products are tested, despite the fact that there are numerous areas in Romania that could benefit from technological innovation. It is important to mention the trend in outsourcing companies: they now are developing their own products, which determine transformations in their organizational culture and their market positioning. The challenges remain numerous, starting from difficulty in accessing funds, lack of a complex entrepreneurial education to cover the needs of a start-up, and, sometimes, lack of strategic vision from the young entrepreneurs. On the other hand, examples of successful companies come into light, with record growth rates, like MavenHut or CyberGhost, or those acquired by international companies, like ubervu and Avangate. Those examples of success are essential for attracting foreign investors to Romania and for increasing the faith that a start-up founded here can be successful on the international market, not only as a brand, but also financially speaking. Daniel Dragomir, CEO TechHub Bucharest, community and co-working space for technology entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

8 Access to funding Romanian entrepreneurs, in line with entrepreneurs from EU or G20 countries, consider improved access to funding to be crucial to the development of entrepreneurship.

9 90% of the Romanian entrepreneurs consider access to funding difficult or very difficult for young entrepreneurs (less than 40 years old) Conclusions on access to funding 48% of entrepreneurs who answered our survey consider access to funding has worsened during the last year in Romania, despite the fact that entrepreneurs from EU, as well as from Romania, say that funding is the most impactful factor for the entrepreneurship environment. That is why it is necessary to facilitate the access to funding for entrepreneurs. Among the instruments that are considered to have the largest potential impact in Romania are bank loans, venture capital investments, business angels and private equity, in line with answers of entrepreneurs from EU and G20 countries. State aids and crowdfunding though are not perceived by Romanian entrepreneurs to have the same potential, in contrast with EU s and G20 entrepreneurs perceptions. Has access of entrepreneurs to funding improved during the last year in Romania? The 3 instruments that could have the largest impact in sustaining entrepreneurship in Romania, if boosted Stayed the same 27% Worsened 48% Bank loans Venture capital Romania EU G20 average Don t know or no opinion 9% Improved 16% Business angels Private equity Microfinance State aid Clients Public-private partnership The perception on access to funding of entrepreneurs in 2013, in Romania, by age groups Worsened Improved Stayed the same Don t know or no opinion Family and friends IPO Suppliers Crowdfunding > 40 years old < 40 years old 50% 45% 24% 32% 15% 18% 11% 5% 0% 10% 20% 25% Source: EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

10 Conclusions on access to funding Worsening of access to funding in 2013 is felt by Romanian entrepreneurs in a context that was already difficult from a financing standpoint. Therefore, 88% of them say they can hardly access funding in the local market. In the case of young entrepreneurs (aged under 40), the access is even more difficult: 90% of respondents think that for them funding is difficult or very difficult marking a slight increase compared to If we compare the results with EU or G20 data, the perception of the Romanian businessmen is more than pessimistic, in line with the negative EU general perception regarding access to funding, hovering around 76%. Do you think that access to funding in Romania is easy for entrepreneurs below the age of 40? (2013 vs 2012) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 37% 55% Difficult Very difficult Romania Do you think that access to funding in Romania is easy for entrepreneurs below the age of 40? (Romania vs EU vs G20 average) Very easy EU Easy Difficult Very difficult Don t know or no opinion 5% 55% 35% 5% 19% 33% 29% 17% 2% 50% 40% 56% Don t know or no opinion Easy G20 average 21% 33% 29% 15% 2% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 30% 20% 35% Very easy 10% 5% 4% 0% 3% 5% Source: EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013 How do you perceive access to funding for entrepreneurs? Very easy Easy Difficult Very difficult Don t know or no opinion Romania 8% 69% 19% 4% EU 25% 32% 27% 9% 7% G20 average 25% 30% 26% 10% 9% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 9 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

11 Conclusions on access to funding Regarding the areas of action for the government, the Romanian entrepreneurs consider that tax incentives for investments in SMEs (16%), more effective and simplified regulatory systems for businesses (13%), and credit warranties (13%) would have the most significant impact on funding in Romania. The first two set of actions are the ones identified also by EU entrepreneurs as having a significant impact. For EU entrepreneurs, the most important actions following the previous two are the reduction of capital gains tax (9%), credit warranties (8%), infrastructure investments (8%) and simplified listing rules for SMEs on stock exchanges (8%). Which are the 3 most important areas of action for the government that can improve entrepreneurs access to funding? Romania EU G20 average Tax incentives for investment in small business Simplified, more efficient business regulatory systems Loan guarantee Promotion of fair, efficient labour laws Invesment in infrastructure Funding for lending schemes/targeted lending schemes Low capital gains tax Tax breaks for corporate venturing Promotion of a business environment that is not overlay litigated Procurement* Grants Regulatory framework for crowd funding and other Simplified listing rules for small companies Sponsorship of networking and entrepreneurship forums Match/partner with private investments in high-growth 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% *government undertakes to use small entrepreneurs for a certain percentage of their tenders Source: EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

12 Financing growth: the funding ecosystem for entrepreneurs As entrepreneurial businesses grow and develop, the sources of finance they rely on change. It is therefore essential that governments create a range of mechanisms and institutions that provide entrepreneurs with the capital they need at every stage of the growth journey. EY guide for funding entrepreneurial companies Public stock markets Private equity Formal VC/growth capital Government export schemes, grants Revenues Government grants (e.g., R&D), SME purchasing focus Corporate accelerators Incubator/accelerator Speciality bank loans and guaranatees Seed/early stage VC Crowdfunding Angels Entrepreneur, friends, family Corporate VC Pre-seed Seed Start-up Emerging Rapid-growth Expansion / market leader Development stage Stage 1: emerging company Newborn companies - in the pre-seed, seed and start-up stages, the most vulnerable stages of any business, also named The Valley of Death are in a great need for capital, usually very hard to find in this phase. Most of the times, entrepreneurs rely on their own funds. According to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2012 US Report, 73% of entrepreneurs who have started new companies in the US in 2012 funded them from their personal savings. In this phase, the family, friends, but also banks through personal loans and credit card offers, are important. Further in the emerging stage, the new companies do not follow the same type of funding. For many, their own savings and the working capital represent the most important types of capital. Other will access specific funding for this stage of growth, like capital offered by: Business angels - wealthy individuals, usually entrepreneurs whom invest in young companies and offer advice for the funded start-up. Crowdfunding - offers funding even earlier than business angels, is based on contributions made on specialized online platforms. Venture capital - capital offered by institutional investors, especially to innovative startups with promising growth prospects. Despite an unfriendly macroeconomic climate for startups in the last years, we have witnessed an extraordinary dynamics of the funding methods for newborn companies, especially due to crowdfunding. The entrepreneurs from G20 countries generally claim that the access to necessary funds during the emergence phase has improved in the last 3 years. In the same time, the Romanian entrepreneurs have made significant steps in understanding these types of investors/ funding instruments. If in the 2012 edition, the entrepreneurs could not appreciate the impact of business angels and venture capitals, this year 19% of the respondents consider that these two types of funding have the most potential in developing entrepreneurial initiatives, almost as much (20%) as those who consider bank loans the most well-known funding method as having the greatest potential impact. 11 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

13 Financing growth: the funding ecosystem for entrepreneurs Among the countries which rank highest at funding conditions for the new born companies are US, Canada and Australia, but also Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. The last two countries ranked so well due to 50% debt government guarantees at accessing risk capital, while one of the largest state companies in Saudi Arabia has a corporate venture capital fund to invest in start-ups. The Indonesian government guarantees 70% of the loans, with an estimated fund of USD 2.9 billion in In Romania, at the moment, there are no guarantees made by the government at comparable level or corporate venture funds initiated by state companies. Innovative forms of funding are emerging Micro financing, a financing option for entrepreneurs who do not have access to traditional banking loans, has improved significantly, especially in the markets with fast economic growth. In Romania, according to EBRD, the potential market of microfinancing is 500 million EUR, fueled by commercial banks and nonbanking financial institutions in proportion of 70%, while 30% of the demand is not satisfied. Over time, EBRD partnered with Romanian financial institutions in order to offer micro financing to the Romanian market. At the moment, some of these institutions offer micro financing through the programe Progress financed by the European Investment Bank. These institutions have an annual portfolio of EUR 100 million, offering credits per year. The average value of a microloan is under EUR and can reach EUR Motivation of those who offer sums of money through crowdfunding Financial motivation Bank loan Own capital Loan for the product/service Social loan Capital for the product/service Social Motivation Donations Rewards based Sales in advance Material motivation Source: A Framework for European Crowdfunding, October 2012 Crowd funding is a disruptive industry. Because of it, people can use an extremely simple and inexpensive mechanism to finance their projects. Crowdfunding is still at the beginning in Romania, but we expect that this industry will grow in the next years. A significant barrier in the development of the field is represented by the small degree of familiarity of initiators of the projects as well as of funders with this financing method. The efforts directed toward educating the market seem to have results, because there are significantly more persons interested in this funding method now compared to last year. The value of the market for the crowd funding reward-based projects (financing in exchange for rewards) in Romania is estimated at about EUR Judit Katona, co-funder of the crowd funding platform Creştemidei.ro Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

14 Financing growth: the funding ecosystem for entrepreneurs Expectations from crowd funding are high, the new comer in the world of funding for startups being increasingly perceived as a solution for overcoming the big problem of funding in the early stage of the business. At a global level, there are over 400 crowdfunding websites (one of the largest is kickstarter.com). This means you can finance your business from tens, hundreds, thousands of donors of small sums. At a global level, crowd funding platforms have raised funds of USD 2.7 billion in 2012 for more than one million campaigns and USD 5.1 billion in 2013 (estimate by Massolution Crowd Power Solutions). The field is becoming so popular that the European Commission intends to promote the sector by creating an European network of crowdfunding platforms. Business angels investors essential in the emergent phase As soon as a company begins to hire people and to develop products and services, usually they need capital injections and the business angels investors can provide the right amount of capital in this stage. They are even incentivized from a fiscal perspective starting 1 January 2014: the Fiscal Code has been accommodated to include facilities for these kind of investors. Holding companies which register profit on the sale of shares or from dividends are exempt from capital gains taxation. Therefore, business angels investors could establish companies with a holding structure in order for the profits to be tax exempted. Education and business angels networks play also an important role in the development of this instrument of funding: potential business angels must easily gain access to information about this kind of investment opportunity and about investment mechanisms. AngelList Being a disruptive instrument in the angels investors world, AngelList is an online service which facilitates the meeting between the entrepreneurs and investors. It was created in 2010 and provides a data-base with complete information about entrepreneurs and investors. Through this platform, hundreds of companies have managed to find financing until now. Angel investors Venture capitalists Who The source of funds The size of investment The role of the investor Rate of success Businessmen with wealth over USD 1 mil. Invest their own funds in startups Usually between USD Is not involved in the operational management In 52% of the cases the invested money are lost Professional investors Invest institutional funds in more mature companies On average USD 7 mil. Actively involved in the business 40% do not succeed Source: The Boston Globe, Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

15 Financing growth: the funding ecosystem for entrepreneurs Second phase: fast growth Access to traditional bank lending remains difficult for fast-growth companies At the rapid-growth stage, entrepreneurs can demonstrate a market for their products or services and may already be earning revenues. In theory, more funding options should now be available, including bank loans and venture capital. Since the financial crisis, however, small companies have continued to face major hurdles in accessing funding in Romania. Banks are under pressure to boost regulatory capital, and this is encouraging them to shrink their assets by reining in lending. Thus, they remain selective in granting financing. In general, they take into consideration companies with a solid financial history, while new companies are not bankable, being perceived as bearing a high risk. Though, the Romanian banks take into consideration the SMEs segment and have a few dedicated financing instruments based on the funds received from international banks focused on this segment, like European Investment Bank and International Finance Corporation. Government credit guarantee schemes In this dry financing landscape, the government tries to stimulate SMEs loans through state guarantees. Mexico, Turkey, Indonesia, South Korea are just a few states that offer these schemes and the impact is significant. A similar scheme has been introduced in 2012 in Great Britain, and offers lending facilities of over 2.5 billion for more than companies. In Romania, a scheme for SMEs will function similar to the First Home program. The state will offer guarantees up to Lei 2 billion, representing 50% of the bank loan for working capital. Eligible companies must have registered a turnover of up to EUR 50 million in the last fiscal year, be operational active for at least 3 years and have recorded operating profit in the last 2 years. The interest is 3 months ROBOR plus a maximum margin of 3.5%. The credit will function as a line of credit in the revolving system. Also, European funds for startups can be obtained through the JEREMIE project, launched by the European Commission and the European Investment Fund, part of BEI. JEREMIE offers to financial intermediaries financial instruments for SMEs: guarantees, co-guarantees, counter guarantees, equity guarantees, micro-loans, risk capital, securitization instruments, co-investment funds, investment in technology transfer funds. Through these facilities, the partnered financial intermediaries offer SMEs loans and equity participation. JEREMIE, however, does not operate as nonrefundable funding for SMEs. In the European Union, The Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) will be followed during the period by the program for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME). With a EUR 2.5 billion budget, the program will facilitate the access to finance and will encourage the entrepreneurial culture. Of the total financial package, EUR 1.4 billion are allocated to financial instruments. The rest will be spent for funding the Enterprise Europe Network, a platform dedicated to international industrial cooperation and education, in order to develop the entrepreneurial spirit. Access to loans will be easier especially for entrepreneurs to launch cross border activities. International banks with new loan models for entrepreneurial companies Some international banks have developed loan schemes intended to new companies. These banks do not offer loans based on guarantees or on company s income, but on other performance indicators and future potential of the business. This kind of shift would require banks to develop new competencies and expertise in early-stage business. Silicon Valley Bank Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) is a well-known bank which funded thousands of start-ups since 1983 (the year of founding). SVB has gained a profound knowledge of start-up assets (usually only intellectual property assets or incipient, new ideas) and start-up s revenue. The SVB experience remains an example for other banks on how financing new companies can be a feasible and profitable activity. Cash plus mentorship through US Small Business Administration Small Business Administration (SBA) is a best practice example on supporting risk capital funding (venture capital). The American Federal Agency is one of the oldest and most successful initiatives designed to bridge the gap between venture capital funding and small companies, by providing guarantees up to 90% of the granted loan. In 2012, its finance programs provided US$30.25b in loans to small businesses. One of the main reasons for the SBA s success is the way it combines financial support with education. The agency s national network of experts provides support to entrepreneurs through mentoring, training, legal advice and even assistance with securing government contracts. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

16 Selection of governmental programs offering support to SMEs in nonrefundable funds Agenţia pentru Implementarea Proiectelor şi Programelor pentru Întreprinderi Mici şi Mijlocii (AIPPIMM) Besides the option of loan guarantees, companies have also the option of accessing nonrefundable financing allocations offered by the Romanian State. The Minister of Economy through The Department for SMEs, Business Environment and Tourism implements programs offering state budget funding for improving the rate of new business generation and developing SMEs in Romania. Probably the most well known program of this kind is the one focused on young entrepreneurs (younger than 35 years old), the so-called SRL-D program. The program with the most generous budget, the De minimis aid scheme funds up to 90% of eligible expenses as a nonrefundable financial aid for SMEs. For 2014, the maximum value of the state aid is EUR/firm, and the registrations have been already closed, recording over applications. Programs for the SMEs The program for stimulating the establishment and the development of microenterprises by young entrepreneurs The SRL-D program The Mihail Kogalniceanu program for the SMEs Budget (lei) Beneficiaries Budget (lei) Beneficiaries Budget (lei) Beneficiaries 21,000,000-25,000, ,000, ,000,000 12,000 16,115,000 1,635 10,000, The program for establishment and development of technology and business incubators 1,000, SMEs and the opening of 3 new incubators 6,470, incubators 6,000, incubators National program for the development of the entrepreneurial culture among the women managers The program for the development of the entrepreneurial abilities among youth and facilitating access to funding START The program UNCTAD/ EMPRETEC Romania for SME support 500, , ,000, ,000, ,000, , ,000 4 work-shops De minimis aid scheme ,000, Source: Agenţia pentru Implementarea Proiectelor şi Programelor pentru Întreprinderi Mici şi Mijlocii, aippimm.ro 15 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

17 Almost 1000 corporate venturing units worldwide Incentivizing venture capital activities Risk capital plays an important role in funding companies with larger capital injections than what business angels usually are willing to invest. A venture capital (VC) investment is desired even for the multiplication effect: after receiving a round of funding from a well known venture capital fund, access to loans and other types of funding becomes easier. However, in the present economic situation, risk capital, like other sources, remains sometimes inaccessible. Between 2011 and 2012, global venture capital investments had decreased by 20%, but there are also some signs of encouragement. For example, among the respondents of the EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 2013, 63% of the Indian entrepreneurs, 48% of the Russian ones and 41% from the Brazilians consider that access to risk capital registered a turnaround. Venture capital is less present in Romania, but with the right incentives from the state, this kind of funding could develop much more. In India, for example, this kind of investment has doubled from USD 600 mil. in 2006 to USD 1.4 billion in According to the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA), in 2012 only one risk capital investment was registered in Romania. This was made in the telecommunication sector and was less than EUR 3 million. In order to support the venture capital investments, the European institutions are thinking of creating a passport system to help venture capital companies invest in different funds and companies from European Union without being obligated to register in every country they want to operate in. At the same time, some governments support the VC funds to invest in start-ups, like the Australian government which offers USD 104 million to local VC funds. Other countries take into consideration regulatory changes in order for the pension funds and the government funds to invest in VC or fiscal measures to encourage venture capital investments from foreign VC companies. A bigger role for corporate investments The investments made by the companies from Romania in start-ups should be encouraged to cover the lack of funding options. This kind of investment represents almost 6-10% from the global risk capital investments. Through this kind of investments, mature companies have access to future technologies and financial returns. Global Corporate Venturing identified almost 1000 corporate venture capital funds worldwide. Large corporations offer capital or loan funding through their own VC funds, like General Motors (funded in 2010 a subsidiary which invests USD 100 mil.) or Dell (with a USD 100 mil fund for investing in startups). If we talk about later stage investments in Romania and in the region, there are private equity and other types of investment funds that have significant sums available. The problem is that the business projects do not reach that stage due to the weak initial seed financing when, as an entrepreneur, you do not have access to bank financing and the money from the parents, friends and family are not enough. You do not have practically any other efficient solution for funding in order to outgrow this level and reach the venture capital or private equity phase. Marius Ghenea, serial entrepreneur (Flamingo, Flanco, FIT, accessnet, Idilis, Pcfun.ro) and business angel Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

18 Financing growth: the funding ecosystem for entrepreneurs Faza 3: Expansion Capital markets are extremely important for the companies which are in the expansion phase. An exponential growth of the company can be powered only through capital markets. After becoming public, a company can finance the strategic acquisitions of other companies, access new markets, strengthen its brand, while the investors who supported it by then, the private equity investors, can receive a good exit opportunity. Historically, the companies which were listed have accelerated their job creation rate. For example, in the US, 90% of the jobs created by a company were created after it was listed. In Romania, the stock exchange market is still in the beginning phase, from a liquidity and annual public offers standing point. FTSE, one of the world leaders in setting up and determining stock exchange market indexes, situated the Romanian capital market in the frontier market segment, in the last fall, due to the low liquidity and high transaction costs. In 2013, there were two listings at BVB (Nuclearelectrica and Romgaz) while in 2014 are expected Hidroelectrica and Electrica. Junior Markets have a vital role in supporting entrepreneurs Not every company will be able to make the step from being a private company to the main stock market. Junior exchanges, such as AIM in the UK, can play an important role in bridging the gap by providing a mechanism for accessing public equity investment. Listing on a junior market can also have tax benefits and be a stepping stone to an eventual listing on the main market. In the last 10 years, many stock exchanges around the world, in both mature and rapid-growth markets, have established junior markets or new platforms to foster capital-raising by high-growth entrepreneurial businesses. An important factor in the success of this type of market is providing a stimulating system for this investments and an easy access to investments. In Romania, BVB created an alternative transaction system, ATS, but for the moment it did not succeed in attracting local companies. Loans can be either cheap or expensive, but what really matters is the added value they bring to your busines. If the added valued is significant, it doesn t matter how expensive the money is. Felix Pătrăşcanu studied law to become a judge, but he became an entrepreneur and CEO of a EUR 60 million company, FAN Courier. Medium and large companies and the state should be encouraged to buy from companies which are at the beginning of the road, because otherwise the companies will not develop. For example, it may be a best practice recommendation that a percentage of public acquisitions to be granted to start-up companies. Bogdan Tudor has been interested in computers since high school. In 2005, he created Class IT company and from 2011 he expanded his business to the US. 17 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

19 Our recommendations 1. Government action: where to focus Conduct a self-assessment of your entrepreneurial landscape. This will help to ensure that the correct funding strategies and policy levers are in place and the right type of capital is available at every stage of the entrepreneur s life cycle. Provide mentoring along with capital. Capital without mentorship is lost capital. Boost access to funding. Encourage venture capital fund formation, support the creation of specialist banks, sponsor credit guarantee schemes and low-interest start-up loans, and encourage innovative new approaches such as crowdfunding and milestone lending. Support stock markets. Stimulate access to capital and a greater potential for exits for entrepreneurial growth companies. 2. The entrepreneur perspective: key issues to consider Ensure that your capital source is the right one. Seek the right funding depending on where your company is in its life cycle. 3. A corporate perspective Set up a corporate venturing unit. Support and access innovative entrepreneurial businesses through corporate venturing. Trade with entrepreneurs. Strengthen your supply chain by purchasing from entrepreneurial businesses or providing loans, trade credit or other forms of support, particularly to those in the early stages of the growth cycle. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

20 Entrepreneurship culture Entrepreneurship should be perceived as a valid and respected career choice and would-be entrepreneurs need to feel they will not be excessively penalized or stigmatized if they fail.

21 35% of Romanian entrepreneurs believe that the way they are perceived has improved during last year Conclusions on entrepreneurship culture 59% of the respondent entrepreneurs consider that mentalities and values in Romania do not support entrepreneurship, compared to 43% of the entrepreneurs from the European Union and 29% of G20 countries. If we take into consideration the responses of those who consider that Romania has a positive culture for entrepreneurs (35%), only entrepreneurs from Italy, France and Japan are less optimistic than Romanians. Is entrepreneurship encouraged by the Romanian attitudes and values? Partly or fully agree 36% Don t know or no opinion 6% Partly or fully disagree 59% When asked about the change in mentalities on entrepreneurship during last year in Romania, 35% of entrepreneurs believe that it has improved, compared to 26% who think it has worsened. When analyzing the responses of entrepreneurs by age, however, there is a mismatch in perception between young entrepreneurs and the mature ones. Most young entrepreneurs (46%) believe that the image of entrepreneurs has improved in 2013 compared to 2012, while the highest proportion of mature entrepreneurs (34%) thought that it has worsened. My country has a culture which encourages entrepreneurship % of entrepreneurs partially or totally agree 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Media țărilor G20 Japan France Italy Romania Brazil Russia EU Australia Indonesia South Korea Germany Turkey Argentina Saudi Arabia South Africa India Mexico United Kingdom Canada China United States Source: EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 55% Source: EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013 The perception towards entrepreneurship has improved during the last year in Romania? Somewhat or greatly deteriorated Somewhat or greatly improved Neither improved nor deteriorated Don t know or not applicable All entrepreneurs 26% 35% 35% 4% > 40 years old 34% 36% 28% 1% < 40 years old 13% 33% 46% 8% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

22 Only 5% of Romanian entrepreneurs see business failure as a learning experience Conclusions on entrepreneurship culture The fear of failure remains one of the significant barriers to approach entrepreneurship. Only 14% of the respondents believe that society tolerates business failure, while 81% believe this failure represents a barrier to future business projects, a career failure or it indicates lack of necessary skills. This attitude towards failure indicates that Romanian society penalizes insolvency and bankruptcy of companies, both from a regulatory perspective and from the perspective of future financing options from banks and other investors. When the company is not successful, the cost of insolvency should be relatively small. By not overly penalizing honest entrepreneurs who arrive in this situation, while encouraging private creditors to do the same, the government can directly reduce one of the most significant barriers for entrepreneurs. This approach would reinforce the idea that business failure is part of a learning process. The government sent the new Insolvency Code to the Parliament at the end of 2013, however it has not yet been adopted. It remains to be seen whether or not the form adopted will penalize entrepreneurs who fail. What do you think about business failure in Romania? Perception of business failure in Romania, EU and G20 Countries 40% 34% Romania EU G20 average 30% 20% 10% 0% A barrier for future projects 24% A career failure 23% An outcome of running a business without the appropiate skills 9% An outcome that has no impact on future business projects 5% 5% A learning opportunity Don t kow or no oppinion A barrier for 34% future projects 40% 26% A career failure 24% 29% 21% An outcome of running 23% a business without the 12% appropiate skills 20% An outcome that has 9% no impact on future 4% business projects 6% A learning 5% 12% opportunity 23% Don t kow or 5% 3% no oppinion 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Source: Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 Source: Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer The entrepreneur is a daredevil, a seeker and a fighter who never quits and is always trying to innovate. Constantin Boromiz, the Boromir group owner, has started as a mill owner in his native village many years ago, to reach an annual aggregate turnover of EUR 100 million in He considers himself to be an entrepreneur since he was 7 years old. 21 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

23 52% of entrepreneurs consider that communicating success stories has the greatest impact in promoting a culture of entrepreneurship Conclusions on entrepreneurship culture Just like in last year s edition of the barometer and in line with responses of entrepreneurs from European Union, Romanian entrepreneurs believe that improving the communication of entrepreneurs success stories and promoting the career opportunities of entrepreneurship would have the greatest impact on the image of entrepreneurship in Romania. Given the lack of maturity of the entrepreneurship culture in Romania, all other listed measures were also considered important by the entrepreneurs (see below). The only measure not perceived as such by a significant percentage of entrepreneurs concerns the Government s programs in the area of education, funding and improvement of the entrepreneurship image. The percentage can be explained by a lack of confidence in the effectiveness of state s measures in the sphere of entrepreneurship. Therefore, in order to improve the image of entrepreneurship, business people believe that messages about entrepreneurs impact in the economy, through jobs creation and economic growth, is key. This issue is important, especially in a country like Romania, where the entrepreneur s role is not yet well known, because of lack of entrepreneurship in the past generations. The communication and celebration of success stories of Romanian entrepreneurs is even more important. Opening a business must become a viable career option, a serious personal achievement and an opportunity for growth and well-being. To improve the entrepreneurship culture in Romania, which would be the impact of the factors listed below in the next three years? High impact Medium impact Low impact Don t know or no opinion Improve communication around entrepreneurs success stories 52% 37% 6% 5% Promote the career opportunities offered by entrepreneurship 49% 35% 10% 6% Acceptance of business failure 45% 35% 16% 3% Government programs providing education, funding and profile raising 43% 29% 21% 7% Promotion of the role of entrepreneurs in creating new jobs 41% 37% 19% 3% Promotion of the high risk/high return dynamics of entrepreneurship 37% 48% 13% 2% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: EY Entrepreneurs speak out We are at the start of the so-called economy of applications and I believe that at this moment Romanian start-ups with global products may appear. We need some global business success stories, and from that point investors will start to have more courage, and the state will see a real advantage in encouraging entrepreneurs. The absence of success stories is probably one of the most important explanations for not having more entrepreneurs. If there aren t any success stories, why think about becoming an entrepreneur and work 20 hours out of 24? Wouldn t you prefer to go to a corporation where you work 8 hours and have a comfortable life? The online travel agency Vola.ro owner, Daniel Truică, became an entrepreneur during college. In 2006, after four years of entrepreneurship, he started Vola.ro. Now the Vola group is active on the Romanian market, but also in Poland, Ukraine and Vietnam. Daniel estimates that Vola group is worth EUR million. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

24 14% of respondents consider that Romanian society does not penalize business failure Improving the perception of entrepreneurship The role of public policies in changing the cultural attitudes regarding entrepreneurs The countries that support innovation, the risk taking of starting a business and communication on success stories tend to inspire more people to become entrepreneurs. Because of celebrating entrepreneurial success, The United States ranks first place at entrepreneurship culture, in the EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer However, Romania is below the EU in terms of perceived risk tolerance. Only 14% of the entrepreneurs who responded think that business failure is seen in Romania as a learning opportunity and that it has no impact on future business projects. To encourage entrepreneurship, the authorities may play an important role. For example, the European Union provides funding for SMEs to increase competitiveness, from which a significant part is spent on improving entrepreneurship culture. Another initiative at the European level is the European SME Week, which in 2014 will take place during 29 September - 5 October. Through the activities taking place during this week, the European authorities are trying to inspire more people, especially young people, to become entrepreneurs. During the European SME Week in 2012, 1,500 events were held in 37 countries from within the region. In Romania it is very important for authorities to engage in efforts aimed at changing attitudes towards entrepreneurs, given that entrepreneurship was interrupted in Romania during the communist era, when personal initiative was discouraged and successful businessmen were judged as enemies of the people. Therefore, even 25 years after we renounced the state governed economy and the controlled production system, entrepreneurship is still a young concept, which went, same as the Romanian people, through a process of transition after To improve the image of entrepreneurs, the government can support communication of success stories and the job creation role of entrepreneurship. These are two measures seen by Romanian entrepreneurs as having great impact in changing attitudes on entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. The positive attitude towards risk in Romania versus the G20 countries: 60% 50% 40% 30% G20 countries average 29% 20% 10% 0% Brazil Romania France Italy Germany EU Japan United Kingdom India Canada Australia South Korea Mexico South Africa Russia Turkey Argentina Saudi Arabia China Indonesia United States Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 23 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

25 In 1992 it was early enough to become an entrepreneur, especially that Romanian economy was in a transition phase to a market economy. I was seen as a strange character, even more as, in the same time, I had a job at a state company, where I was earning my everyday living. Colleagues back then were perceiving me as a little alien. Florin Furdui, serial entrepreneur and Country Manager, Portland Trust When I started my own business in 2005, the concept of entrepreneur was less common and it was defined as patron. Patronii had a bad image, being seen as the person who enslaves and exploits, this is why I tried to avoid being identified as an owner. Since then, the evolution was great, entrepreneurs are perceived much better now, even though the image of entrepreneurs in the Romanian society as a whole is not immaculate. As a side effect in some circles to became an entrepreneur is even à la mode. Bogdan Tudor became interested in computers in elementary school. In 2005 he created Class IT and in 2011 he expanded its business in the United States. Three characteristics of successful government programs to change cultural attitudes 1. Facilitates the creation of networking opportunities for entrepreneurs, helping them to meet other entrepreneurs and create business connections. 2. They create networking opportunities so that aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from other businesses in other regions. 3. They highlight entrepreneurship s vital role in the community and the broader economy, encouraging people to be proud of this career choice. Entrepreneurship has become more visible in the media in the last years and the new generation attitudes towards entrepreneurship are changing visibly. After the entrance of corporations in the local economy young people mainly wanted to take jobs in such companies because it offered them a good salary and a secure job, however, now taking the risk of working on your own is no longer perceived as a radical choice. At the moment, the most visible success stories in the media are online and tech entrepreneurs. Perhaps not unrelated, many young people are interested in these industries when envisaging their first personal entrepreneurial initiative. Mihaela Matei, coordinator, EY Entrepreneurship Barometer: Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania, 2012 and 2013 Source: EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer Removing the cost and stigma of failure is critical for success If failure has a high cost, potential entrepreneurs will not choose entrepreneurship. Only 14% of the entrepreneurs say that Romanians and Romanian institutions have a positive attitude towards business failure, while 81% see it as a barrier to future business projects, as career failure or lack of necessary skills. This attitude needs to be changed, especially since the success rate of serial entrepreneurs is higher than the rate of those entrepreneurs who are at their first business 1. This indicates that failure is a valuable learning experience. Israel provides a good example of how government programs can help to increase risk tolerance: Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS), a state institution of Israel, provides funding with zero risk, which means that if the newly created company fails, the funding should not be paid. OCS does not intervene in the management of the company and does not get shares in exchange for funding. Only companies that are successful are required to pay back the loan. 1 P.A. Gompers et al, Performance Persistence in Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital, Journal of Finance Economics, Vol 96 No 1, 2010 As a young person, you have nothing to lose if you try to be an entrepreneur. You don t have bank loans, you are healthy, you have no family responsibilities, children, why not try it? You should not be afraid of failure, because if you do not succeed, entrepreneurship will be a great experience, much better than any prestigious school. Think of the money invested and lost in the start-up as tuition for such a school. Felix Pătrăşcanu studied law to become a judge, but he became an entrepreneur and the CEO of a business worth EUR 60 million in 2013, FAN Courier. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

26 Improving the perception of entrepreneurship The European Union recommends offering a second chance to entrepreneurs who are not successful with their first company If the laws governing the institution of insolvency are tough, they can act as a significant entry barrier for entrepreneurship. Studies show that the introduction of a personal bankruptcy law, which Romania does not have at this time, raises the number of those who become entrepreneurs 1. According to the opinion of the European Commission, A second chance policy that enables formerly bankrupt entrepreneurs restart may represent one of the most promising and under exploited policy options for company creation and job growth. 2 1 J. Armour and D Cumming, Bankruptcy Law and Entrepreneurship, University of Cambridge Working Paper, No 300, European Commission, A second chance for entrepreneurs: prevention of bankruptcy, simplification of bankruptcy procedures and support for a fresh start, EU Publication Office, 2011 Policymakers need to target support across all sections of society Some segments of the population have little knowledge about what entrepreneurship means, they lack the self-confidence required to start a business on their own or they lack funds. For example, young people are more willing to take the risks of entrepreneurship, but have less access to finances. Also, women have a more optimistic economic outlook than men and repay their loans with a higher probability than men, yet there are less women entrepreneurs than men. In Romania the state has developed two programs aimed at young entrepreneurs and women. The first, called The Program for the stimulation of start-up and development of Small Enterprises by young entrepreneurs, had a budget of lei in 2013, while the program dedicated to women managers in 2013 had a budget of lei 500,000. For more details see page 15. Women: a confident outlook for business growth What is your level of confidence in the economic direction of your headquarter country? Extremely confident Very confident Confident Somewhat confident No confidence at all 1% 0% 8% 6% 6% 20% 25% 33% 46% 55% Source: EY, % 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% % of entrepreneurs surveyed Male Female Many Romanians still do not understand what entrepreneurs are. Many still believe that business should start or must be made by cheating others. Still, others believe that a business is important to get money for a luxurious car, for a large house and to get rid of any financial future problems. Therefore it is important that young people are informed about what being a businessman (woman) means, what business ethics is and how successful entrepreneurs did manage to succeed. So we should start with education and a change in mindset. Vlad Păunescu founded the Castel Film movie studios in Since then, Castle Films casted and produced over 220 artistic American, European and Romanian movies. 25 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

27 Our recommendations 1. Government action: where to focus Promote the power of entrepreneurship as the engine of economic growth. Celebrate entrepreneurs and position them as role models through marketing campaigns and events. Removing the stigma of failure. Statistics show that entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed the second time around promote the view that failure should be viewed as a learning opportunity. Creating networking opportunities. Facilitate opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to learn from other businesses. 2. The entrepreneur perspective: key issues to consider Share successful stories. Communicate the benefits of entrepreneurship by publicizing successes in areas such as job creation and innovation. Help the next generation of entrepreneurs. Participate and support formal/informal collaborations and networks to develop entrepreneurs ideas and form valuable relationships. 3. A corporate perspective Sponsor incubators and accelerators. Corporations can offer sponsorships or other private programs that support entrepreneurs. Recognize the contributions and success of entrepreneurs. Highlight inspirational entrepreneurial case studies to emphasize the importance of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

28 Tax and regulation 56% of entrepreneurs who answered our survey consider simplification of tax and regulation in Romania would have a major impact in our business environment.

29 72% of Romanian entrepreneurs consider that the tax and regulatory system deteriorated during the last year Conclusions on tax and regulation Countries that offer favorable tax rates and simple regulations also have the highest number of entrepreneurs, who return to the state and to the community significant tax incomes and who also create more jobs. However, in Romania tax and regulation are perceived as a problem by entrepreneurs and 79% of entrepreneurs older than 40 and 61% of entrepreneurs under 40 believe that tax and regulation have worsened in the last year in Romania. Also, for the open question what is the most important obstacle for entrepreneurs in starting and developing a business in Romania, fiscal uncertainty, bureaucracy and the level of taxes achieved the highest cumulative score: 43%. Did the regulatory and fiscal environment improve for entrepreneurs in the last year in Romania? Don t know 1% Somewhat or greatly improved 12% Neither improved nor deteriorated 15% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 Somewhat or greatly deteriorated 72% Which is the most important obstacle for entrepreneurs in starting and developing a business in Romania? Tax level, fiscal uncertainty and red tape Lack of entrepreneurship culture Difficult access to funding Political uncertainty and lack of vision in public policy State of the economy and development gaps 0% 6% 10% 15% 26% 43% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer Do you consider that the regulatory and fiscal environment improved for entrepreneurs in the last year? Somewhat or greatly deteriorated Somewhat or greatly improved Neither improved nor deteriorated Don t know or not applicable > 40 years old 79% 17% 2% 2% < 40 years old 61% 12% 27% 0% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

30 Conclusions on tax and regulation Two solutions considered by entrepreneurs as having the greatest impact on the development of entrepreneurship in Romania are ensuring the stability of the regulatory and fiscal requirements (94% of respondents) and also the simplification of laws and regulations (91%). In the G20 countries, 56% of the business people believe that lowering income taxes especially on small businesses and simplification of regulations and fiscal requirements would play a vital role in increasing the attractiveness of entrepreneurship. Just as the funding should take into account the stage of development in which the company is, regulators should consider whether the enterprise is in the emerging, the rapid-growth or in the expansion phase. Predictability is extremely important. Keeping proportions, America maintained a flat price of gasoline from the 50s to the 80s- 90s. This meant a lot to the development of the United States. Because transport increases the price of any product you buy. But if the price per gallon is constant, you can make accurate financial projections. Surely, the tax environment can not be 100% predictable, however, you do not want taxes to be changed overnight. Felix Pătrăşcanu studied law to become a judge, but he became an entrepreneur instead and the CEO of a business worth EUR 60 million, FAN Courier. To improve the long-term development of entrepreneurship in Romania, what measures do you think would have the greatest impact over the next three years? High impact Medium impact Low impact Don t know or no opinion Increase predictibility for tax and regulation 94% 5% 1% Simplification of tax rules and regulations 91% 9% Decrease in corporate income tax rates such as payroll, property taxes 69% 24% 5% 2% Decrease in corporate income tax burden on small businesses 66% 20% 14% Decrease in personal income tax rate 54% 16% 25% 5% Increase in tax incentives focused on innovation 58% 34% 7% 1% Increase in non-tax (cash, subsidies) focused on innovation 41% 41% 13% 5% Increase incentives for investing in start-ups 56% 35% 5% 4% Decrease in business registration requirements and costs 40% 41% 18% 1% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania, Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

31 Conclusions on tax and regulation Navigating through complex rules related to taxation or to industry regulation is a difficult and costly challenge, in terms of time and financial costs. In addition, the lack of clarity and open to interpretation regulations are factors that facilitate the phenomenon of bureaucracy and corruption. For the companies in the early stages this challenge may prove fatal, since entrepreneurs have a small amount of resources to spend, and need to focus mainly on business development. Therefore entrepreneurs feel that simplification of tax and regulations is more important (48%) than income tax reduction (26%) and indirect tax levels reduction (12%). At the same time, the fact that entrepreneurs feel the need for a direct line of communication with the authorities, in order to express their problems and concerns about the regulatory environment, indicates the urgent need that entrepreneurs should be consulted when regulations with business impact are to be issued. To have your activity in the private sector is still seen as highly problematic, because of the artificially created difficulties: from an extremely chaotic tax environment, with hundreds of charges and complicated legislation up to the institutions that interpret the law by their own will, and the lack of good manners of the clerk who comes and checks you up for various reasons. All these factors discourage new entrepreneurs and are perceived as significant barriers to entry entrepreneurship. Florin Furdui, serial entrepreneur and Country Manager, Portland Trust From my point of view, the state does not help us at all since many provisions are unclear, and also because you can not get advice regarding the implementation of those rules from anywhere. Every time you come in contact with the state, the interaction is long and bureaucratic. Therefore, we have assumed the cost of having a relationship with the state, even though we are a company that by its dimensions does not need dedicated people for this interaction. Thus we internalized the accounting and HR function, because it is difficult to navigate through the complexities of the Romanian regulatory system, and if you do something wrong, you will be penalized. Crenguța Roșu, entrepreneur, co-founder of DC Communication, one of the top independent communications agencies on the Romanian market, created in Which of the following initiatives would improve the regulatory environment for entrepreneurs? Which of the following initiatives would improve the fiscal environment for entrepreneurs? The opening of a direct line of communication to allow entrepreneurs to express issues and concerns 41% 43% 38% Simplification of tax rules and regulations regarding calculation of tax liability 48% 41% 37% More online accessibility of regulations and accompanying information Frequent publications of guidance, instructions and Q&As to address new and pending regulations 13% 10% 11% 22% 21% 33% Reduction of corporate income tax burden Reduction of indirect tax rates Reduction of personal income tax burden 26% 21% 26% 12% 14% 13% 8% 17% 13% Development of a government agency to assist new businesses in complying with regulations Romania 13% EU 25% 30% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% G20 total Development of a government agency to assist new businesses in complying with tax filling requirements 6% 7% 11% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Romania EU G20 total Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

32 Shaping tax and regulation to encourage entrepreneurship Policymakers must target tax and regulatory reform at every stage of the growth journey Just as funding instruments (see the chapter regarding access to financing, page 12) must be adapted, tax and regulation should aim to stimulate the development of companies based on the stage they find themselves in. Policymakers can help the mature companies by introducing deductions from the income tax. For small businesses, however, such a measure would not be effective, as they are not yet profitable. For them, incentives such as lowering the indirect, property and payroll taxes would be more effective. Also, fiscal and financial facilities would help them in research and development activities. But for all companies, regardless of the stage of the life cycle, it is very important to simplify existing rules. Compared with other countries, Romanians feel the need for simplified laws to a greater extent than other states, above the EU average, and are overtaken only by Germany, from the European countries analyzed in the study. The need for simplification of tax and regulation rules % answered the measure will have a large impact 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% G20 average Japan Great Britain France Turkey Canada South Korea South Africa Italy Russia India United States China Australia EU Argentina Brazil Saudi Arabia Romania Indonesia Mexico Germany Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 36% Phase 1: Emerging company Companies at the seed stage (see graph on page 12) are not yet generating revenues, meaning that income tax is not very relevant at this stage. Although income tax usually dominates the public agenda when speaking of corporate tax, other taxes (payroll for example) and other aspects of the regulatory framework influence to a greater manner new business creation. If the government succeeds to create a friendly environment, this will facilitate the growth of new companies. If we consider just the number of bureaucratic tasks that a company must meet to comply with fiscal requirements, the conclusion can only be that this represents a very significant barrier to entry into entrepreneurship. According to a survey conducted in the European Union in August 2012, ¾ of the Europeans consider starting a business to be too difficult because of the administrative complexities involved. In the last World Bank Doing Business ranking, Romania is ranked on the 136 place out of 185 countries in terms of taxation. This means that as a company you must make on average 41 payments every year and spend 216 hours on average per year to calculate taxes, while the effective rate for taxation (% profit) for a company is 44.2%. And if you want to establish your company, according to the same ranking, the process takes 10 days. In my case, indeed, only 10 working days passed from the submission of the complete documents to the emission of the company s certificate of registration. However, this was the case because I had specialized help. If you add up all the time needed to obtain the neighbors approval for the company s office, name reservation, understanding the necessary documents, filling them and the time spent in queue at the Trade Register, it is absolutely understandable why many Romanians feel discouraged to enter this road. To register a company is already a test of strength and motivation for many of them. Mihaela Matei, Coordinator of the EY Entrepreneur Speak Out Barometer, Romania 2013 and founder of Postmodern.ro 31 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

33 Second phase: Fast growth As they grow, companies must meet various licensing and registration requirements, tax rules, industry standards, labor and employees regulations. For many entrepreneurs, navigating trough the bureaucracy of these tasks at various levels (national, regional, local, etc.) may seem discouraging and may distract them from business management and growth. Optimizing cash correlated with indirect taxes VAT payments may create administrative headaches and cash problems to small companies and to growing companies. That is why some countries, including Romania, have taken action in this regard in order for VAT to be paid to the state when cashed-in. Starting with the 1st of January 2014, a major step forward was made through changes in the VAT collection system. Companies with a turnover of less than lei 2,250,000 (EUR 500,000) now have the liberty of choosing this system or the normal system. Also, only now we truly have a VAT charged at cash-in and not delayed, being removed within 90 days after VAT became chargeable whether or not the amounts had been received. Also, for the companies with a turnover of less than EUR 35,000 per year, a simplified accounting system with a structure of reports more easier to draw can be applied. Incentives for research and development (R&D) Companies at the start-up stage, particularly those in innovative hightech sectors, need to invest in people, equipment and research. To help with the burden, a number of countries now offer R&D tax credits and tax relief on the costs associated with product development. Some will also allow companies to treat capital expenditure as immediate expenses, rather than amortizing the costs over a period of time. In the U.S. for example, the 2012 Taxpayer Relief Act extended both a provision allowing small businesses to claim an immediate deduction for up to US$500,000 for certain capital expenditures and a 50% bonus depreciation provision for qualified property purchases, which is applicable for all businesses, including early-stage firms. In many countries, however, these tax incentives are underutilized, mainly due to a lack of awareness, high administrative costs or difficulty understanding which expenses qualify for incentives. With 0.5% of GDP R&D expense, Romania is in the 48th place in the ranking of the most innovative countries globally. In Romania, the companies involved in R&D, or the ones creating intellectual property, may benefit from two fiscal facilities: a) The accelerated amortization (maximum 50% of the asset s fiscal value can be amortized in the first year of usage). b) Additional deductions for the eligible expenditures related to research and development activities, increased since February 2013 from 20% to 50%. The last feature went relatively unnoticed and not many entities decided to benefit from it. It is time for entrepreneurs who use innovation as the main growth engine to lean on this legal provision and try to get the maximum benefit from it. Opening a direct communication line would have the greatest impact on improving regulation % answered that this measure will have the greatest impact 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% Better communication with policymakers Asked which single initiative would do most to improve regulatory environment for entrepreneurs, respondents in Romania, as well as those from EU, point to the ability to have a direct channel of communication with regulators. The US provides a good example of how governments are creating forums of this kind. In 2011, a White House Initiative, Startup America, set up roundtable events in numerous cities. This provided a forum for entrepreneurs and investors to discuss barriers to starting and growing companies. The initiative resulted in a clear set of recommendations for federal agencies to eliminate regulations. G20 average 39% 20% 10% 0% Russia China South Corea Saudi Arabia Turkey Italy South Africa Mexico Japan Brazil Germany Romania Canada EU Argentina Australia France Indonesia India Great Britain United States Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

34 Conclusions of meetings held by EY with entrepreneurs in Timişoara and Cluj in 2013 During last year s meetings with entrepreneurs from Cluj and Timişoara, the attending entrepreneurs expressed difficulties they faced and forwarded recommendations in the areas of financing, entrepreneurship culture, tax and regulation, education and coordinated support. The major conclusion of the two meetings was that there are many aspects to be changed, however, the most important issue is the attitude of people entrepreneurs get in contact with or whose actions have an impact on entrepreneurs, from state clerks, bank clerks, to teachers and politicians. Romanian entrepreneurs speak out: Financing Drastic simplification in accessing EU funds. Reduction of the review and approval time for these funds. Only one authority to coordinate EU funds. European funds for development of entrepreneurship and competitiveness in Romania are usually managed by officials who do not understand the business environment; they are unprepared and are against private initiative and entrepreneurship. Loan analysts in banks should be more knowledgeable in financial analysis and also in understanding the business. Banking bureaucracy must be reduced also. Making credit conditions more flexible, as, for now, Romanian banks do not grant funding to Romanian companies and they do not find any project bankable enough. Banks operating in Romania should have a more flexible and adapted strategy to the Romanian market, yet their strategy is not in tune with the dynamics of the Romanian economy. Banking costs should be reduced. Entrepreneurship culture Entrepreneurs have a bad image among Romanians, as a result of decades in which entrepreneurs were despised and personal initiative was discouraged. This negative image is explainable also through recent years media coverage of negative business models. The intervention of Romanian National Council of Audiovisual Content in presenting a balanced picture would be welcomed. Also, public national television should have a role in education of entrepreneurship as a career option. 33 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

35 Conclusions of meetings held by EY with entrepreneurs in Timişoara and Cluj in 2013 Romanian entrepreneurs speak out: Tax and regulation Whether we are talking about financial administration, institutions managing European funds or any other state institution, red tape is one of the most important issues with high opportunity costs which should be reduced drastically, according to entrepreneurs. At the same time, it is not enough to simplify procedures and regulations and to reduce the number of taxes and fiscal declarations, it is also urgent to professionalize all state employees. Other recommended measures: trainings and hirings based on performance of labor force in public institutions, employment of graduates who have studied public administration abroad, hiring of those with business experience. The predictability of the fiscal environment is extremely important, as it would lead to better budgeting forecasts and building appropriate strategies, with long run perspective. The tax burden must be lowered, especially labor tax and tax burden for start-ups. Also, the insolvency law does not lead to a healthy business environment, favoring fraud and unfair practices. The accounting for small enterprises must be simplified. Fairness should prevail in the state-entrepreneur relationship: the state must pay its debts to the entrepreneur to the same degree the entrepreneur is required to pay its debts. Consultations with the business environment is paramount before changing the tax and regulatory environment; entrepreneurs highlighted that formal consultation with no real outcome are not enough and their point of view should be taken into account. Education and professional training Entrepreneurship education should start as soon as possible, even from middle school, and it must be taught by entrepreneurs, not by teachers who do not understand the personality of the entrepreneur and what business entails. The education system must be restructured as soon as possible. The legislative framework must be improved in order to allow universities to hire entrepreneurs to teach and share their personal experiences, thus inspiring new business initiatives. Studies with entrepreneurship focus not only are not taught by personnel with entrepreneurial experience, but they are based on textbooks presenting foreign case studies. Career orientation for children must become functional, while professional training should meet real needs of the labor market. At present there is a significant mismatch between what employers need and the graduates set of skills. Also, children must receive positive messages in the first years of school. Coordinated support It would be very helpful if the support from specialized associations were aggregated in an online portal in order to raise awareness of what associations, clubs, incubators, accelerators, state aids can do to help entrepreneurs. The specialized associations must not only facilitate their own members, but all entrepreneurs, in order to sustain development of the business environment in Romania. Entrepreneurs must be more collaborative and clustered in order to make their voice heard and better represent their interests. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

36 Shaping tax and regulation to encourage entrepreneurship Phase 3: Expansion At this stage many companies become profitable and therefore subject to income tax. In this regard, to an overwhelming majority, the entrepreneurs whom we interviewed directly, both in the 2012 and 2013 edition of the Barometer, pointed out the flat tax of 16% introduced in 2005 to be the tax measure with the greatest positive impact on business environment. The measure was interpreted as a positive sign from gouvernment by the interviewed entrepreneurs, to which they reacted accordingly. Many companies at the growth stage start to pursue expansion into overseas markets. This can be a vital step on the growth journey, but it also creates significant regulatory and taxation difficulties. Companies must think about where profits should be taxed and comply with multiple regulatory frameworks in the countries in which they operate. This can be a costly and time consuming process that can eat into the profits generated by tapping into new geographical markets. There is no easy solution to this problem, but some governments have tried to simplify the process and cut down on the regulatory burden. Businesses that want to expand across the EU can benefit from the EUGO Points of Single Contact. These online portals are designed to help entrepreneurs active in the service sector by setting out information about rules, regulations and formalities and allowing the completion of certain administrative procedures online. More could still be done, however. Better harmonization of tax regulations across the EU would help entrepreneurs to expand internationally. Tackling labor market rigidity Given the continuous economic changes taking place in the global market, we believe that the labor market must be flexible to meet the challenges of the global economic crisis and the jobs shortage. From the entrepreneurs perspective, flexible working conditions could be achieved by relaxing terms for termination of individual employment contracts, for fixed-term employment and also for working time timetable (e.g. overtime). The labor legislation in Romania can be characterized as favorable to employees. Through the changes made to the Labor Code and the Law on Social Dialogue in 2011, the state tried to create a more flexible labor legislation by changing certain provisions regarding probation periods, the fixed-term employment contracts or more flexible working hours. The results of these changes are likely to be seen in time. Tax and regulation issues along the entrepreneurial journey Pre-seed/seed Develop a business model Seek funding Utilize online registration tools and entrepreneur development programs Consider IP protection Determine legal form and incorporate Start-up Continue to seek funding Obtain necessary federal, state and local licenses Navigate complex tax and regulation regimes Consider labor laws when hiring employees Pay franchise and indirect taxes Rapid-growth/ expansion Pay income tax upon generating income Pay indirect taxes Consider international tax rates and requirements Manage large-scale severance and redundancy; consider international labour laws Source: EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 35 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

37 Our recommendations 1. Government action: where to focus Simplify the tax system. This would allow entrepreneurs to focus on what they do best: growing their business, generating jobs and driving innovation. Make it easier to navigate the tax system. Create a single platform that provides practical and easy to understand guidance. Give entrepreneurs a voice on regulation. Include their input on significant regulation, ensure representation on committees and in government by creating a minister of entrepreneurship to represent their views and draft a national strategy of entrepreneurship development. Simplify insolvency rules. Revise legislation to help entrepreneurs recover from failure by reducing the cost of business failure. Reduce the indirect tax burden. Early stage companies would benefit significantly from relief on indirect taxes such as payroll and sales levies, which often serve as a fixed overhead expense, negatively impacting cash flow and profit and loss. 2. The entrepreneur perspective: key issues to consider Explore governmental resources. Seek out and make use of government-funded resources and tools to reduce business start-up time. Know the R&D incentives. Be aware of and capitalize on investment incentives for R&D and entrepreneurship to further your business. Get involved in the development of entrepreneurship environment. Be active and insert yourself into the consultation processes, particularly on proposed legislation that will impact entrepreneurs. Decrease costs of tax compliance. Use the simplified taxation methods to improve cash flow and reduce costs of tax compliance. 3. A corporate perspective Share your public policy experience. Your knowledge, learnings and capabilities will benefit entrepreneurial companies. Drive change. Lobby government to incentivize corporations to invest in entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

38 Education and training There is a direct relationship between investment in education and GDP growth. This relationship should by even stronger if education were better oriented towards the development of knowledge, aspirations and attitudes required to entrepreneurs.

39 58% of entrepreneurs consider that entrepreneurship education improved during 2013 Conclusions on education and training The only net positive perceptions of Romanian entrepreneurs who answered our survey are related to education. According to the Barometer, entrepreneurship education has improved in the last year in Romania, 58% of entrepreneurs supporting this statement. Positive perception on entrepreneurship education remains the same when answers are segmented by age, with a higher percentage of young entrepreneurs supporting this perception (70%). Do you believe that education and training focused on entrepreneurship have improved in the last year in Romania? When it comes to entrepreneurship education we must consider not only formal education business administration, marketing, sales, human resources, communications and PR, finance but also coming into contact with entrepreneurial models. Therefore, entrepreneurship education is different from traditional and academic education and it also involves creating unique attitudes which can develop only through contact with entrepreneurial success stories and entrepreneurs. But just as important, young people need to understand not just a romanticized interpretation of entrepreneurship, but also the negative aspects of starting a business. Neither improved or deteriorated 23% Don t know or no opinion 5% Do you believe that education and training focused on entrepreneurship have improved in the last year in Romania? Segmented by age Somewhat or greatly deteriorated Neither improved nor deteriorated Somewhat or greatly deteriorated 14% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 Somewhat or greatly improved 58% Somewhat or greatly improved Don t know or not applicable > 40 years old 20% 22% 51% 8% < 40 years old 6% 24% 70% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 I found being an entrepreneur very hard in the beginning, because I did not have strong entrepreneurial education, I especially exceled in operations and IT logic. If I had to choose the best measure that should be taken to support entrepreneurs, this would be to prepare the entrepreneurs in business administration, sales, marketing, finance. Education in all these areas is crucial. Helping entrepreneurs with funding is not enough. Bogdan Tudor has been interested in computers since high school. In 2005, he created Class IT company and from 2011 he expanded his business to the US. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

40 Conclusions on education and training Specific programs for entrepreneurship and business schools (56% of responses) are for Romanian entrepreneurs the most important forms of education to improve the perception of entrepreneurship as career choice in Romania. At the same time, success stories (18%) of entrepreneurs, as well as mentoring programs (18%) are not perceived as being so important. The measure which received the fewest responses is related to state efforts to educate entrepreneurs, with only 8% of votes. Compared with entrepreneurs in other countries, we are among the last who see the potential of success stories in entrepreneurship education and the first in terms of the perceived importance of formal tertiary education. This latter type of education would be best supported by government measures, given that universities in Romania are mostly state owned. However, when asked which would be the most effective form of support provided by the government, entrepreneurs did not choose education as a possible measure. Entrepreneurs perception of promoting success stories of entrepreneurs to students in order to improve the idea of entrepreneurship as a career option 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% G20 average 29% Entrepreneurs perception of the effect of specific programs in universities / business schools on the perception of entrepreneurship as a career option 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% G20 average 29% 0% Saudi Arabia South Africa China Canada South Korea Australia Great Britain Turkey EU Japan Germany Indonesia Russia France Argentina India Italy Mexico United States Brazil Romania Brazil Romania South Korea China Saudi Arabia Indonesia Italy Germany Turkey Japoan Russia United States Mexico EU France India Argentina Great Britain Australia Canada South Africa Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 39 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

41 80% of the Romanian entrepreneurs coach the entrepreneurs who are at the beginning of the road Conclusions on education and training Once you have become an entrepreneur, the advice given by mature entrepreneurs, who have met and overcome mental, operational, financial and all the other usual obstacles on the entrepreneurship road, becomes extremely important. 80% of the surveyed entrepreneurs said that they provide such advice and train other entrepreneurs in an informal or formal way. Also, most of the directly interviewed entrepreneurs said that they provide mentoring. For example, many of them teach in workshops and programs of The Romanian Business Leaders Foundation and also in the youth organization Junior Achievement Romania. Business angels also coach the businesses in which they invest, while most entrepreneurs try to inspire those around them to take the risk of working on their own. In addition to direct mentoring, informal meetings with other entrepreneurs in dedicated clubs or networks are very important, as they receive information from other entrepreneurs when they mostly need it. Business incubators and accelerators in Romania should also offer know-how and coaching. As an experienced entrepreneur, do you provide training/coaching/mentoring to the young or starting up entrepreneurs? No 20% Yes, in an organized manner 23% Many business incubators and accelerators in Romania, unfortunately, work as real-estate businesses, meaning that they have some space and try to make it valuable by offering it to entrepreneurs. This is not enough. An incubator or an accelerator must provide elements of networking, funding, mentoring and entrepreneurship education. Marius Ghenea, serial entrepreneur (Flamingo, Flanco, FIT, accessnet, Idilis, PCfun.ro) and business angel Yes, in an informal manner 57% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out in Romania, 2013 I m mentoring because this is an early culture I have become accustomed to in my professional career. I myself am the product of mentoring received from German and Austrian business people. Now I have 10 companies in which I invested and, in addition to the operational part, the daily conversations with their CEOs focus on mentoring. Sometimes our communication is 20% operational and 80% business sharing experiences and lessons learned in time. Businessman Ion Sturza left the Rompetrol group in September 2009 to create the investment fund Greenlight Invest, later rebranded as Fribourg Capital, an investment fund specialized in private equity and venture capital. In December 2013 Sturza inaugurated in Cluj The Liberty technology park and Spherik business accelerator. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

42 Steve Jobs gave up his university studies Do entrepreneurs need studies? While there are numerous examples of well-known business personalities who did not finish formal education, research has shown that education generally makes entrepreneurs more likely to succeed. A detailed study using US labor force data found that entrepreneurs on average earn more for every year of formal education 1. In rapid-growth markets, a lack of education is a key barrier to entrepreneurship. A key role for government is to ensure that a country s citizens have access to good education. This should include formal education and more specific business education targeted at business owners. On the other hand, educational spending alone does not necessarily lead to more successful entrepreneurs, as often traditional education creates good employees, but not entrepreneurs able to take risks. Therefore, traditional curricula often does not help in the development of entrepreneurial spirit and the expenditures made by the state for this kind of education will not necessarily lead to good results. Researches carried out in EU have shown that as the level of education increases the chances for students to become entrepreneurs fall 2. This determines the conclusion that rigid studies, even if they focus on developing specific skills needed by entrepreneurs, may not lead students to assume the risk of entrepreneurship, innovation and experiment. Therefore it is necessary that entrepreneurship be taught by entrepreneurs who speak from their own experience, both positive and negative, thus inspiring this career choice among students. That is why 52% of Romanian respondents consider a better communication of success stories of entrepreneurs as the best method for changing perceptions towards entrepreneurship in Romania. 1 M van Praag et al, Returns for Entrepreneurs versus Employees: The Effect of Education and Personal Control on The Relative Performance of Entrepreneurs vs. Wage Employees, Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit Discussion Paper, European Commission, Effects and Impact of entrepreneurship programmes in higher education, EU Publication Office, Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

43 Steve Jobs gave up his university studies Do entrepreneurs need studies? Focus on the young Early exposure to entrepreneurship in the education syllabus helps children to develop the skills and values that will be required for entrepreneurship later in life. In some countries, schools will bring in role models and set up games and competitions that give students the chance to find out what it is like to run a business. Very often, students respond well to this because learning about entrepreneurship involves a more hands on approach compared with some other traditional academic subjects. When referring to secondary education (primary and middle school), about 33% of entrepreneurs in the European Union estimate that it has improved in the last three years. This perception reflects the increased interest in Europe for entrepreneurship education during the recent years, stimulated by the rising unemployment in the member countries. Vocational education, such as vocational schools, also experienced an improvement in the European Union during the same period, according to 34% of European respondents - a good sign considering the de-professionalization at this level and acute shortage of craftsmen in Romania. The European Union makes the entrepreneurship education a compulsory subject within secondary education Stimulating entrepreneurship is one of the four long-term objectives of the EU s current vision for education, called Education and Training Already in 14 out of 27 EU countries, students are taught about entrepreneurship as an element of a compulsory subject during secondary school most often in the social sciences. In Romania, Poland and Lithuania, a specific course in entrepreneurship is mandatory. In Romania, this discipline became compulsory in Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

44 Steve Jobs gave up his university studies Do entrepreneurs need studies? The entrepreneurship subject is too new in the education curricula in Romania to be able to assess the results. Nevertheless, previous research shows that starting young can have a huge impact. It reports that between 15% and 20% of students who participate in a mini-company program in secondary school go on to start their own business. For the general population, the figure is typically three to six times lower. In Romania, the entrepreneurship education subject consists of significant elements of entrepreneurship, how can students choose their professional path and career, what are the qualities and skills of successful entrepreneurs, market opportunities analysis, business valuation and business ethics, and notions about the business plan and business risk. The European Union plan for entrepreneurship The European Union Action Plan sets that study of entrepreneurship should be integrated at the primary level, secondary level, vocational and tertiary education by The objective seems very ambitious, given that not all EU countries have yet a specific strategy for entrepreneurial education. General and specific competencies to be obtained by the students attending the subject promote the following values and attitudes: Independence in thinking and action Positive relationships with the others Responsibility in the entrepreneurship activity Free will Economic efficiency The government and the country strategy are essential in supporting entrepreneurship, particularly when referring to education. If the education strategy on entrepreneurship education is not properly designed, future generations will not have a sound basis becoming entrepreneurs. Drafting the education strategy should be a responsibility not only for the Ministry of Education, but also for the Ministry of SMEs, Ministry of Labor and other ministries. If you make entrepreneurship education in the early years of school, young adults may knowingly decide to choose the path of entrepreneurship. Marius Ghenea, serial entrepreneur (Flamingo, Flanco, FIT, accessnet, Idilis, PCfun.ro) and business angel 43 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

45 Our recommendations 1. Government action: where to focus Support young people who chose an entrepreneurial career. Create public programs for those who are looking to start a business and need to develop specific entrepreneurship and business skills. Encourage lifelong learning for entrepreneurs. Many of the skills that entrepreneurs need cannot be learned in a classroom. Create more opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, through mentorship programs and entrepreneur support clubs. 2. The entrepreneur perspective: key issues to consider Look for the educational opportunities that suit your needs. This may range from an MBA to taking a short course to develop a specific skill or fill a knowledge gap. Seek out and learn from other entrepreneurs. Your idea may be unique, but you are more likely to succeed if you tap into the experience of others. Give back to help others. Good entrepreneurship education programs rely on input from current entrepreneurs. Mentoring also actively assists the next generation of entrepreneurs and introduces new talent into existing networks. 3. A corporate perspective Expand internship programs to provide more hands-on experience. EY researches showed that approximately 60% of entrepreneurs gained skills and competencies in a corporate environment. Mentor entrepreneurs. Encourage leaders from your corporation to provide entrepreneurs with valuable knowledge and insights. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

46 Coordinated support Funding, education, entrepreneurship culture and taxes - all must encourage entrepreneurship, while specialized organizations, including government ones, have to optimize the way in which the entrepreneurship environment develops harmoniously at all relevant levels. 45 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

47 40% of entrepreneurs consider that coordinated support in Romania has improved in Conclusions on coordinated support Most of the Romanian entrepreneurs consider that coordinated support provided by specialized organizations such as clubs and associations of entrepreneurs, informal networks of entrepreneurs, government agencies, business incubators and accelerators, has improved in the last year. By taking into consideration the age groups, as well as perceptions about financing, entrepreneurial culture and entrepreneurship education, young entrepreneurs are more optimistic: nearly 50% consider specialized organizations offer better support than a year ago. Did the coordinated support provided by specialized organizations improve over the last year in Romania? When asked how could the government help them, most of the Romanian entrepreneurs chose credit schemes for small entrepreneurs, with a percentage significantly higher than at EU level. The other two measures chosen by Romanian entrepreneurs have a strong financial component, while supporting education did not receive any vote. This result recalls the great need for funding of the Romanian entrepreneurs, who believe that access to financing is difficult or very difficult (88% of answers). Did the coordinated support provided by specialized organizations improve over the last year in Romania? By age Neither improved or deteriorated 31% Somewhat or greatly improved 40% > 40 years old 15% 31% 35% 20% < 40 years old 6% 30% 48% 15% Somewhat or greatly deteriorated 11% Can t tell 18% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania % Somewhat or greatly deteriorated Somewhat or greatly improved 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Neither improved nor deteriorated Don t know or not applicable Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out, Romania 2013 Which of the following forms of support provided by the government would be most effective for entrepreneurs? Small business lending schemes Government start-up/other programs, including grants Loan guarantees Government-sponsored university incubators Entrepreneurial workshops Industry-specific training programs Support tailored to female entrepreneurs Sponsored industry/entrepreneur forums and networking Educators Small business administration support 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania EU Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

48 Conclusions on coordinated support Credit schemes for small entrepreneurs are perceived as the most important measure of government support for entrepreneurs in Romania, well above the EU average, with 29% of responses. In the European Union the most favored measures are government programs for start-ups and loan guarantees, ranking in the second and third place in the preferences of Romanian entrepreneurs. When asked about the action/organization that would have the greatest impact, entrepreneurs point to the government, through its programs dedicated to start-ups and entrepreneurs. These answers show the need of Romanian entrepreneurs to be supported by the state. Government programs may relate to grants, credit or equity financing, tax breaks, and even networking and mentoring opportunities. However, on a par with government programs, entrepreneurs indicate that clubs and associations of entrepreneurs have the same importance on the long term in developing entrepreneurship. Incubators/accelerators rank only the forth place in the preferences of Romanian entrepreneurs, probably because few are truly functional in Romania at the moment. Only 1% of responses goes to chambers of commerce. Credit schemes for small entrepreneurs would be the most effective support measure from the government % of responses 30% 20% 10% 0% G20 average Italy France South Korea Canada Germany EU South Africa Indonesia Brazil Australia Turkey Russia United Arab Emirates Mexico USA Japan Great Britain China India Argentina Romania Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer 13% It is hard to believe that many capitalists of major importance would appear from only one generation of entrepreneurs, therefore small and medium entrepreneurs, the backbone of the economy, must be supported in Romania. And the support does not necessarily have to come from the central authorities, but also from the local ones through: optimization of association requirements, creation of industrial platforms for SMEs, improvement of training and other measures which can make a difference for small and medium entrepreneurs. Businessman Ion Sturza left the group Rompetrol in September 2009 to create the investment fund Greenlight Invest, later rebranded as Fribourg Capital, specialized investment fund in private equity and venture capital. In December 2013 Ion Sturza inaugurated the Liberty technological park and Spherik business accelerator in Cluj. In order to improve the long-term development of entrepreneurship in Romania, which of the following organization/initiative do you think would have the greatest impact? Government start-up/other programs Entrepreneur clubs and associations Teaming/mentor programs Business incubators & accelerators Entrepreneurial workshop/support meetings University incubators Industry-specific training porgrams Venture capital associations Corporate and non-governmental advisors Educators Chambers of commerce Small business administrations Other 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania UE 47 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

49 48% of entrepreneurs participated in meetings and workshops for networking and knowledge sharing Conclusions on coordinated support While in Romania the initiatives most attended to by entrepreneurs were meetings (formal or informal) and workshops for entrepreneurs (48% of entrepreneurs), most entrepreneurs (63%) in the European Union chose to be part of entrepreneurial clubs and associations. Meanwhile, the Romanian entrepreneurs look forward to attend most to entrepreneurship meetings and workshops, take part in governmental programs for start-ups and other governmental programs. Which of the following initiatives have you used or do you intend to use in the following 3 years? - Romanian entrepreneurs I use or have used them I plan to use them Don t know or no opinion Entrepreneurial workshops/support meetings Entrepreneurs clubs and associations Industry specific training programs Teaming/mentor programs Chamber of commerce Corporate and non-governmental advisors Educators Business incubators Small business administration Government start-up/other programs Government agencies Incubators/accelerators in universities 48% 45% 41% 25% 20% 24% 20% 20% 20% 17% 14% 11% 14% 7% 7% 5% 1% 19% 7% 27% 17% 30% 23% 25% 30% 24% 35% 55% 56% 59% 69% 75% 86% 66% 78% 80% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Which of the following initiatives have you used or you intend to use in the following 3 years? - EU entrepreneurs I use or have used them I plan to use them Don t know or no opinion Entrepreneurial workshops/support meetings Entrepreneurs clubs and associations Industry specific training programs Teaming/mentor programs Chamber of commerce Corporate and non-governmental advisors Educators Business incubators Small business administration Government start-up/other programs Government agencies Incubators/accelerators in universities 48% 23% 29% 63% 17% 20% 32% 24% 44% 28% 25% 47% 42% 20% 38% 23% 20% 58% 31% 16% 53% 18% 23% 60% 12% 16% 21% 22% 66% 62% 38% 26% 36% 20% 19% 61% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out Romania 2013 and EY G20 Entrepreneurship Barometer Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

50 Growing an integrated ecosystem Successful entrepreneurial ecosystems comprise many essential components that must function well as a whole. For example, funding is not effective without mentoring; same is financing without a risk-taking culture. Also, entrepreneurs will consider excessive tax burdens and bureaucracy a too high barrier to entry, regardless if the other elements are fulfilled. This ecosystem must serve the needs of all stages of entrepreneurship otherwise the chain is broken and companies do not reach maturity. While early-stage ventures can be supported through business incubators, for example, companies that have moved beyond the start-up phase need other types of support, such as help accessing capital markets or internationalizing their business. Along the way, support should also be in place to help link small businesses with larger, established companies. Enterprise Europe Network Enterprise Europe Network (EEB) is an instrument from the EU s strategy on entrepreneurship, economic growth and job creation. This network includes more than 600 organizations supporting entrepreneurship in 50 countries. In addition to the advisory offered on regulation and European standards, EEN organizations support business generation and their development by access to finance, technology transfer, intellectual property, international collaborations, R&D funding, exports, both in the EU and outside. The entrepreneurial development framework: five pillars that foster entrepreneurship Enabling entrepreneurs to learn from large corporations France s SME Pact is a joint venture between OSEO (the French Government s innovation agency) and 14 business organizations. Its objective is to stimulate entrepreneurial growth by acting as a bridge between entrepreneurial businesses and large companies, through commercial contracts and R&D collaborations. Large multinationals sign the SME Pact voluntarily and commit to increasing their collaboration with entrepreneurial businesses. Access to funding: Seed Start-up Expansion Capital growth Education and training Pre-university education University education Entrepreneurship-specific training Informal education/lifelong learning Coordinated support Mentors, advisors, networks and clubs, Business incubators, clusters, parks and business centers Tax and regulation Taxation incentives Ease of starting a business Business-friendly legislation/policies Entrepreneurship culture Tolerance of risk and failure Preference for self-employment Innovation and research culture Celebration of self-made wealth 49 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

51 Growing an integrated ecosystem Clusters create a thriving environment for entrepreneurs Clusters of companies in a particular geographic area drive and stimulate the entrepreneurship initiative. As it happens in Silicon Valley or, keeping proportions, on the Dacia Mioveni platform, the fact that interconnected firms, suppliers and related industries appear in proximity to each other, facilitates the exchange of ideas and resources. Clustering is a natural phenomenon on which governments can capitalize to streamline investments. For example, there was talk about the existence/emergence of an IT cluster in Cluj in the last years. Such an ecosystem can not be controlled, because it evolves naturally, but it can be helped through government measures. For example, at a certain time, such a cluster can hit certain legislative and regulatory barriers that government can help to overcome. Several regional hubs or clusters are emerging or expanding within the EU, including a number of technology hubs that are gaining momentum. Some key examples include the following: London s Tech Investment City Organization which has helped to develop the area known as Tech City, or Silicon Roundabout. Conditions that define a healthy ecosystem for entrepreneurs The ecosystem is tailored around its own unique environment. It operates in an environment with reduced bureaucratic obstacles, in which government policies support the unique needs of entrepreneurs and tolerate failed ventures. It actively encourages and invites financiers to participate in new ventures. The ecosystem is reinforced, not created from scratch, by government, academic or commercial organizations. It is relatively free from, or is able to change, cultural biases against failure or operating a business. Berlin s Communication, Media and Creative Industries Cluster which gathers more than 27,000 companies employing more than 220,000 employees. Regarding Bucharest, the emergence of an R&D in Magurele, by means of ELI-NP project of the largest laser in the world is a promising project. The project will reach a total investment of EUR 356 million and it will involve 13 European Union member states. We have no chance to replicate Silicon Valley in Romania, as it is impossible for New York, Geneva or Toronto to replicate it. Silicon Valley is a unique phenomenon which now functions as a huge vacuum of ideas and money. We could talk at Liberty Technology Park in Cluj about a Silicon Valley as it was years ago when the emphasis was on high added value production. This is the model we try to implement in Cluj, because IT outsourcing can t be the future, as well as lohn clothing production was not. We will select promising projects, we will incubate, accelerate, mentor them, and then we ll go to Silicon Valley to showcase them. Ion Sturza left Rompetrol Group in September 2009 to create the investment fund Greenlight Invest, later rebranded as Fribourg Capital, a specialized investment fund in private equity and venture capital. In December 2013, Ion Sturza inaugurated the Liberty Technological Park and Spherik business accelerator in Cluj. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

52 Growing an integrated ecosystem Entrepreneurs rely on contacts, mentors and associations Entrepreneurs meet in clubs, associations, workshops, support meetings, informal support and mentoring. This reflects a prevailing tendency for entrepreneurs to rely heavily on relationships with groups of people in similar businesses or those with advanced or relevant experience. Networks, mentoring programs and workshops are naturally easier to facilitate when participants are all in close geographic proximity. In a self-perpetuating process, such groupings then become magnets for entrepreneurs. However, these networks become more powerful when they can draw on more established and experienced entrepreneurs who are willing to act as role models and advisors. Incubators can help businesses, customers, suppliers and strategic partners become self-sufficient Business incubators help turn ideas into businesses by providing much more than office space and seed capital in return for equity. They teach and mentor entrepreneurs while introducing new contacts, investors and networks. Incubators can be highly relevant in countries where entrepreneurship is not a tradition, such as Romania and where contact networks, entrepreneurship education and funding systems are not yet advanced. Universities have a key role in coordinating government-funded activity Universities are another vital part of many entrepreneurial ecosystems. Recent research shows that the impact of university innovation increases with geographic proximity to the university. For example, a university with a strong biotech faculty will typically correspond with greater biotech-related entrepreneurial activity nearby. An OECD study concludes that governments should enact policies that directly link university research and start-up formation. These include providing funds for joint research, facilitating technology transfer and coordinating seed funding for university spin-offs. How Israel became an incubator for entrepreneurs Israel is one of the world s most innovative and entrepreneurial economies. The state has invested heavily in entrepreneurship and innovation, and now there is a start-up for every 1,844 inhabitants, the highest density of start-ups in the world. Besides help them begin, the state also helps them grow. For example, Israel has more companies listed on NASDAQ than whole Europe. In 2008, Israel received 2.5 times more venture capital investments per capita than the United States. About 45% of Israelis go to university, one of the world s highest attendance levels. Israel s informal culture de-emphasizes status and age but recognizes talent and drive. Israel s infrastructure supports entrepreneurship with venture capital, R&D funding, and a large number of scientists and engineers. Our main reason for optimism is that we see more and better coagulation of the tech community, whether we are talking about entrepreneurs, designers, programmers or specialists from nearby areas. Better communication between them will lead to close cooperation. Our role is to support them in their efforts, while facilitating our hub to connect other technology hubs around the world. The help that we offer specifically for entrepreneurs who are just starting out is an affordable workspace, as residents or co-workers. Also we organize weekly events for the community. These events are designed to bring closer experienced people - entrepreneurs or specialists in the area of technology, business angels and potential investors - and those who want to create or to grow a start-up or even to engage in one. We facilitate one-on-one meetings with these experts and generate contexts in which start-ups get feedback from potential investors and serial entrepreneurs in mentoring sessions to improve their products. The need for feedback is an important one, but the fear of failure still floats over the attempts to expose entrepreneurs to an audience, whether specialized or uninformed. Also, the small number of angel investors is a loophole that makes the transition from one stage of financing to the next difficult. But despite the challenges, we believe in the potential for further innovation and commercial success of start-ups made in Romania. Daniel Dragomir, CEO TechHub Bucharest, community and coworking space for tech entrepreneurs 51 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

53 Our recommendations 1. Government action: where to focus Create clusters to accelerate entrepreneurship. Nurture clusters of entrepreneurial companies in a single location to boost existing strengths, provide scale, improve productivity and enhance international visibility. Build stronger links between different players in the ecosystem. Create facilities and events that allow networking to flourish. Clubs, associations, workshops, support meetings, informal support and mentoring all help. Support and improve incubators and accelerators. They form a vital link between aspiring entrepreneurs and existing businesses, funding bodies, mentors and support agencies. 2. The entrepreneur perspective: key issues to consider Capitalize on networks. Be proactive about connecting with available networks, and seek out a mentor or form a board of advisors. Give back. Share ideas, useful contacts and basic advice: it can make a huge difference. Join an incubator or accelerator. This generates exposure and feedback for the business, and that helps to build the company. Choose your location carefully. Clusters can accelerate your growth through synergies with similar firms, suppliers, research centers and universities. Not-for-profit organizations play an important role. It is important to seek the assistance of not-for-profit organizations, like The Romanian Business Leaders Foundation. 3. A corporate perspective Access innovation. The creation of corporate incubator or accelerator programs can help provide entrepreneurs with access to resources, testing facilities, pilot customers and funding. Connect with entrepreneurs. Sponsoring and participating in events help to connect a range of people to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

54 Methodology For the second edition of The Entrepreneurs Speak Out Entrepreneurship Barometer, our analysis of the entrepreneurship environment in Romania was articulated around five enablers: access to funding, tax and regulation, education and training, entrepreneurship culture and coordinated support defined by the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance in Toronto, Canada (20-22 June 2010). Our analysis is based on four building blocks: a perception survey conducted with 106 Romanian entrepreneurs between 7 November January 2014, qualitative interviews with relevant entrepreneurs, macroeconomic indicators, and an analysis of Government s leading practices. Abreviations AIM - Alternative Investment Market is a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange, allowing smaller companies to float shares with a more flexible regulatory system than is applicable to the main market. AIPPIMM The Romanian agency that implements projects and financing programs for SMEs ATS The alternative transaction system is a sub-market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development BVB Bucharest Stock Exchange R&D Research and development CIP - Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme of European Union CEO - Chief Executive Officer COSME - EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises EIB European Investment Bank EIM Independent organization of research and consultancy ELI-NP Center of research Extreme Light Infrastructure Nuclear Physics EUGO European network of points of single contact, e-government portals for entrepreneurs active in the service sector EUR EU countries currency (Euro) EVCA The European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association FTSE - Subsidiary of the London Stock Exchange, global leader in indexing G20 Forum for the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies. The members include 19 individual countries Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union SMEs Small and medium enterprises IPO - Intial public offering IT Information technology JEREMIE Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises is a joint initiative developed by the European Commission in co-operation with the European Investment Bank Group and other financial institutions in the framework of the programming period in order to make cohesion policy more efficient and sustainable OCS Office of the Chief Scientist one of the Israel s entrepreneurship programs OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OSEO - Private enterprise with public service delegation, which finances French SMEs PE Private equity GDP Gross domestic product PR Public relations SBA Small Business Administration SVB - Silicon Valley Bank VAT Valued added tax EU European Union USD United States Dollar VC Venture capital 53 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

55 Demographics Position in the company Other 4% Shareholder (not involved in the business) 1% Shareholder (involved in the business) 46% President/Chairman of The Board 19% CEO/Vice-President/ Executive Director 35% Age years old 7% years old 30% > 40 years old 63% Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania

56 Demographics Company s income > EUR15mil 28% < EUR1mil 25% Between EUR10-15mil 9% Between EUR1-5mil 23% Between EUR5-10mil 15% Industry IT 19% Other services 8% Textile industry 1% Agribusiness 1% Furniture 1% Energy 1% Electrical equipment 2% Oil & Gas 2% Healthcare 3% Business services 13% Heavy industry 3% Transportation 3% Chemicals 3% Automotive 4% Commerce 12% Hospitality 4% Food 5% Construction 5% Media & advertising 9% Financial services 7% 55 Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania 2013

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58 Our leaders at EY Romania Bogdan Ion Country Managing Partner Anamaria Cora Partener Head of Assurance Saulius Adomaitis Partener Head of Advisory Florin Vasilică Partener Head of Transaction Advisory Venkatesh Srinivasan Partener Head of Tax and Legal Dragoș Radu Partener Head of Legal Project team Mihaela Matei Special Projects Communication Officer Coordinator of EY Entrepreneurs Speak Out Entrepreneurship Barometer Constantin Măgdălina Knowledge Management Officer Elena Badea Head of Market Enablement Thank you! We would like to thank all the entrepreneurs who responded to our survey, those who shared their thoughts with us, as well Wall-street.ro and Romanian Business Leaders for their support. Entrepreneurship Barometer Romania