Financing of Family and Non-Family Enterprises: Is It Really Different?

Family businesses have been a recognized part of the Slovenian economy since the revival of SMEs and entrepreneurship in the 1990s. We examined some aspects of owner-managers' attitudes towards different sources of finance, from internally generated funds of owners and the business itself, to bank loans and external equity capital, the latter being the most challenging source for the internal structure of ownership and governance of family businesses. A survey of SMEs has been analyzed, indicating statistically significant differences in attitudes and behavior. Some findings contradicted the assumed behavior, although several ways of rational explanation may be found, once the origins of family businesses in Slovenia and their short tradition were taken into consideration. www.jyu

To foster and sustain development ambitions

Ena od izjemno spodbudnih ugotovitev te publikacije, ki temelji na metodologiji GEM in podatkih pridobljenih v letu 2003, so visoke ambicije podjetnikov, ki so na samem začetku podjetniške poti. Razvojna naravnanost slovenskih podjetnikov, izvedena iz njihovih namer, nam pokaže, da so zelo optimistični glede tega, kaj se bo z njihovim podjemom dogajalo v prihodnjih letih. Znižanje razvojnih namer je previsoko, da bi ga lahko pripisali samo naivnosti in nerealnim pričakovanjem nastajajočih podjetnikov, še zlasti če upoštevamo izjemno visoko stopnjo umrljivosti novih podjemov. Očitno je podjetniško okolje v Sloveniji še vedno izrazito neugodno, zato se ohranjanje razvojnih ambicij kaže kot pomembna strateška naloga. Izpostavljeno je predvsem povečanje ravni podjetniških znanj in veščin, ustvarjanje pozitivnega odnosa do podjetništva, razvijanje dostopa do finančnih sredstev, razvoj ženskega podjetništva, nadaljnji razvoj podjetniške politike in programov ter prenos izsledkov raziskav in razvoja. Podjetniške ambicije je treba negovati in ustvarjalnim posameznikom ustvariti okolje, v katerem se bodo lahko rojevale, ohranile in razvijale.One of very encouraging findings of this publication, based on the GEM methodology and the data obtained in 2003, are the high ambitions of entrepreneurs who are at the very beginning of the entrepreneurial path. Growth orientation of Slovenian entrepreneurs, derived from their intentions, show they are very optimistic about what will happen with their ventures in the coming years. However, gradual diminishing of their development plans is too high to be attributed only to naivety and unrealistic expectations of emerging entrepreneurs, especially considering the extremely high mortality rate of new ventures. Apparently, the business environment in Slovenia is still very unfavourable, so maintaining growth ambitions is seen as an important strategic task. Study also underlined the strategic orientation to increase of the level of entrepreneurial skills, creation of positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship, developing the access to finance, development of female entrepreneurship, further development of enterprise policy and programs, and transfer of R&D results. Entrepreneurial ambitions need to be nurtured and creative individuals must have an environment in which ambitions will survive and flourish

How Entrepreneurial is Slovenia

Monografija na temelju podatkov Globalnega podjetniškega monitorja ugotavlja, da v letu 2002 slovenska družba ni funkcionirala kot podjetniška družba. Ni še dozorelo spoznanje, da je za uspešen razvoj nujno koordinirano sodelovanje države in podjetnikov, saj nihče ne more prisiliti podjetnika, da bo rasel, zaposloval in se razvijal. Vse to lahko izhaja samo iz njegove osebne motivacije, ki je odvisna od pogojev, ki jih ustvarimo v družbi. Zato je temeljni izziv, ki je pred nami, kako vzpostaviti jasno vizijo dolgoročnega razvoja Slovenije kot podjetne družbe ter ustvariti vzpodbudno okolje, da bi se čimveč ljudi uspešno lotevalo podjetništva. Velja temeljno spoznanje, da preko noči ni mogoče radikalno spremeniti podjetniškega potenciala. Občutne spremembe na bolje zahtevajo vztrajnost, dolgoročnejši napor za učinkovitejše delovanje v vrsti vladnih resorjev in v mnogih delih družbe, ki ustvarjajo ali zavirajo nagib k samostojnosti in ustvarjalnosti. Pomembno je, da je vladna politika do podjetništva konsistentna in zato predvidljiva z vidika posameznikov, ki se odločajo za lastno dejavnost. Pri tem morata usklajeno delovati osrednja vlada in lokalne oblasti.Monograph, based on the data of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2002, notes that Slovenian society has not yet functioned as an entrepreneurial society. It has not yet come to realize that for the successful development coordinated cooperation of the state and entrepreneurs is necessary, because no one can force the entrepreneur to grow, recruit and develop. All this can only come from his personal motivation, which depends on the conditions created by the society. Therefore, the fundamental challenge that lies ahead is how to establish a clear vision for long-term development of Slovenia as an entrepreneurial society, and to create a stimulating environment to enable more people embark on entrepreneurship career. Significant changes require more persistence and a long-term effort to operate more efficiently in a number of government departments and in many parts of society that is generate or suppress motivation for entrepreneurial activities. It is important that the government entrepreneurship policy is consistent and therefore predictable for individuals who opt entrepreneurship as their career. This also requires concerted action by the central government and local authorities

Natural population of recombinant Plum Pox Virus occurs in Slovakia

National audienceThe Slovak isolate BOR-3, collected from an apricot tree in 1996, was identified as a natural PPV recombinant between an M and D type of Plum pox virus. Several assays were conducted to evaluate the biological properties of this isolate. The recombinant isolate was transmitted to Prunus insititia × P. domestica St. Julien no. 2 (causing intensive chlorosis), P. armeniaca cv. Manicot (leaf necrosis) and P. persica GF305 (symptomless reaction). Its capacity to be transmitted by aphids was experimentally confirmed. The isolate could be easily maintained in vitro on several susceptible Prunus spp. hosts. Closely related recombinant variants were detected in different Prunus in the initial focus in the spring of 2001. Sequence analysis showed high homology between BOR-3 and newly sequenced isolates, reaching more than 99%. All the Slovak recombinant isolates share the same recombination breakpoint. In addition, recombinants showed a close serological relationship, although the serological pattern differed from that of other Slovak PPV isolates. This demonstrates that the recombinants are viable, competitive with conventional PPV-M and D isolates and circulates throughout this locality probably via aphid activity. The present work indicates that the occurrence of recombinants within PPV isolates might be more common then previously assumed