Panel dataset of microenterprises in the province of Trento
Microenterprises play an important role in the Italian economy, both regionally and nationally, as they account for the vast majority of Italian enterprises: 93.3 per cent and 94.5 per cent of total enterprises in Trentino and Italy, respectively. By the same token, these businesses employ 46.2% of the total number of employees in Trentino and 47.9% in Italy. Nevertheless, only a few surveys describe such a population in detail.
The project
To fill this gap, FBK-IRVAPP and the Statistical Office of the Province of Trento have established a longitudinal survey on microenterprises in Trentino. The survey is representative of the total population of microenterprises and was conducted for the first time in 2010, repeated in 2011 and, since then, has been carried out every two years. The sample is stratified by sector, employees and firm age and consists, on average, of 2000 units with a response rate ranging from 75 to 85 per cent depending on the wave.
The data covers a wide range of areas of interest, such as employees, investments, operating costs, enterprises’ financial situation, the market of reference and competition, public subsidies, expectations and economic growth, relationships with third subjects, risk aversion, and ICTs adoption. In addition, the survey also includes some questions on the entrepreneur’s history (age, education, previous experiences, ownership of the firm, and motivations for being an entrepreneur).
Some topics remain constant throughout the waves, but there are special issues that are wave-specific. For example, in 2021, part of the survey focused on strategies undertaken by microenterprises to cope with the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the take-up of public policy measures.
Survey 2023
Panel 2023 (Year 2022) – Financial Literacy of Microenterprises
In an increasingly complex and competitive economic environment, financial skills become a key factor in determining the success of any entrepreneurial activity. These skills enable informed and sustainable decision-making that influences a business’s growth and financial stability.
Among these actors, especially microenterprises, which lack a structured organizational framework and the possibility of having specialized collaborators in specific financial activities, financial management falls on those who directly hold the reins of the business. A solid understanding of financial basics can, therefore, help micro-entrepreneurs plan investments, assess the financial feasibility of new projects, and mitigate risks.
Previous surveys
Panel 2021 (anno 2020) – L’emergenza Covid-19 nelle microimprese in Trentino
Panel 2019 (anno 2018) – Il sistema delle relazioni nelle microimprese in Trentino
