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Small and medium enterprises (SME) represent an essential part of an economic system as they positively influence important macroeconomic data. The aim of this article is to define significant determinants of quality of business environment of SME in the Czech Republic and to quantify differences between selected social groups of entrepreneurs. We compare entrepreneurial opinions dividing them by gender, education, age and their companies' size. The data was obtained through own research of business environment. Only 24% of respondents stated they did not experience corruption and cronyism in their entrepreneurial activities. We discovered statistically significant differences in entrepreneurs' opinions according to their gender, education and their companies' size. As much as 71% of respondents opined that the media do not inform sufficiently about the importance of entrepreneurship for society. Moreover, entrepreneurs evaluate the commercial banks' attitude to their financing with caution. As for the intensity of business risks, 62% of businessmen declared it has increased after the crisis of 2008. We also found out statistically significant differences in the perception of business risks by various types of entrepreneurs dividing them by education, their companies' size and age.

The issue of business in the segment of small and medium-sized companies is a very actual area of scientific research today. Currently, great importance is given to research of personal and knowledge preconditions of people for doing business. The aim of this article was to examine the relationship between personality characteristics and approach to the perception and management of business risks. Based on the preferred personality qualities and knowledge the entrepreneurs have been included into two categories, namely they are artist-entrepreneurs and businessmen-laborers, also the differences in their entrepreneurial attitudes have been examined. BoThgroups of entrepreneurs in our research rate market risk as the most important risk, which was demonstrated by a decline in performance of companies during the crisis. Our results showed that there are significant differences in the attitudes of these two categories of entrepreneurs in approaching credit risk, where it was found out that the defined categories of business have different approaches to knowledge of credit conditions of commercial banks. The results of our study have showed a high degree of confidence of individual groups of entrepreneurs when evaluating their ability to manage financial risks in the company and the high intensity of entrepreneurial optimism regardless of the personal characteristics of entrepreneurs. © 2015, Economics and Sociology. All rights reserved.

The aim of this article was to examine the relationship between personality characteristics and approach to the perception and management of credit risks. Based on the preferred personality qualities and knowledge the entrepreneurs have been included into two categories, namely they are artist-entrepreneurs and businessmen-laborers, also the differences in their entrepreneurial attitudes have been examined. Our results showed that there are differences in the attitudes of these two categories of entrepreneurs in approaching credit risk, where it was found out that the defined categories of business have different approaches to knowledge of credit conditions of commercial banks. According to the findings of our research, there are significant differences between defined types of businessmen while evaluating changes to the current approach of commercial banks in lending to SMEs in comparison to the pre-crisis period. The results of our study have showed a high degree of confidence of individual groups of entrepreneurs when evaluating their ability to manage financial risks in the company.

The issue of business environment for small and medium-sized enterprises is a very actual area of scientific research. Currently, the great importance is given to research people’s personal and knowledge preconditions for conducting business. The aim of this article was to examine the relationship between education of entrepreneurs and several aspects of entrepreneurship in the SME segment. Our own research was conducted in the selected regions of the Czech Republic and Slovakia through a questionnaire survey. A total of 449 owners of small and medium-sized companies have been reached. The sample of respondents was divided into two groups: entrepreneurs with and without a university degree. To reach an above mentioned aim, Pearson statistics for a data count, series of 5000 Monte Carlo replication as well as tools of descriptive statistics have been used. Our results have showed that there are significant differences in the attitudes of these two categories of entrepreneurs in their motives for starting business and the knowledge of the lending criteria of commercial banks. On the other hand, the differences in other fields, such as the evaluation of the commercial banks approach, the change of their companies´ profitability, the ability to manage financial risks and the assessment of the academic knowledge usefulness were not confirmed by our research. © 2015 Centre of Sociological Research. All rights reserved.

The aim of this article is to define and compare current trends within business risks among small and medium enterprises in selected regions of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the context of entrepreneurial optimism. In 2013, the research on entrepreneurs’ opinions in the Zlín Region (Czech Republic) and Žilina Region (Slovakia) was conducted. These regions have similar economic parameters and are separated by only a few miles. According to our research, it can be stated that during the period of financial crisis, the situation in the SME business deteriorated significantly with declining performance and profitability of Czech and Slovak small and medium enterprises. The most important business risk is still market risk, followed by financial and eventually personal risk. Our research showed that the profitability of Czech and Slovak small and medium enterprises decreased by 15%. Despite these facts, the level of entrepreneurial optimism among SME in the selected regions of the Czech Republic and Slovakia is very high.

Aim of following contribution is to define and quantify selected attributes of the business environment in Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). In this context, our own research was prepared and gradually implemented, where the intensity of individual business risks, status, motivation, feelings of entrepreneurs in SME segment, relationship to the bank, state, society, and business optimism in the Czech Republic and Slovakia was analyzed. Due to the global financial crisis, conditions for SME business have worsened. Average decrease in the profitability amounted in 10.44% in the Czech Republic, and in Slovakia 12.01%. The most important business risk for SME is the market risk (lack of market space for the realization of own production). In the Czech Republic 79.44% and 80.49% of Slovak entrepreneurs reported market risk as a key business risk at present. The perception of entrepreneurs by the society and by the state is not good in both of countries. In the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, lots of firm owners have met with corruption and cronyism. Despite the deterioration in the business environment, Czech and Slovak entrepreneurs are very optimistic. Results of our research confirmed that there is necessary to form complex conditions for business development of small and medium-sized businesses in both countries. © 2014 (publisher). All rights reserved.

The aim of the article was to define, quantify and compare the significant attributes of creation and development of the business environment for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Within this stated objective relevant factors and business relationships between entrepreneurs and socio-economic system were analyzed. It was evaluated how entrepreneurs perceive their environment (state, company, banks, universities, etc.). The data was collected through questionnaire. The whole research was conducted in the Zlin region (Czech Republic) on a sample of 180 SMEs and in the region of Trencin (Slovakia) on a sample of 105 SMEs. On the basis of the results of our research we can conclude that the most important motive for starting a business in Slovakia was money. In the Czech Republic, it was found out that the most important motive for starting a business was an attempt to have a job. Entrepreneurs in both countries as the most important characteristic feature of the businessman stated a quality of not to be afraid of risk. In the Czech Republic two other characteristics followed: perseverance and expertise. In Slovakia, the following qualities were mentioned: expertise and responsibility. Our research confirmed that higher education does not represent significant advantage in business and entrepreneurs evaluate the level of higher education rather primly. Entrepreneurs in both countries greatly felt that the society perceives them wrongly. In their opinion, the state has failed to fulfill its role in promoting entrepreneurship. The largest number of entrepreneurs in both countries said that their country just bullied them and creates unnecessary obstacles. Major obstacle in business is also the high level of corruption in both countries. Entrepreneurs indicated that commercial banks access to finance for SMEs during the crisis worsened and banks behaved in a disproportionate manner. This trend is caused by growth of credit risk i