Fuel and energy prices among the main concerns
People running a business in Poland are most afraid of events related to the stability of their company – said the Polish Insurance Association (PIU), which commissioned the study. According to its results, respondents indicated: operational cost increasese.g. fuel prices (66%) and energy (63%). At the same time, 68 and 69 percent, respectively. he thinks they are the most likely.
Loss of competitiveness
When it comes to events related to the future of the company, 36 percent entrepreneurs are afraid of losing competitiveness, and 35 percent changes in regulations regarding their activities. 39 and 34 percent respectively consider it probable. subjects. One quarter (25%) of companies are afraid of the departure of key employees, and one fifth (20%) of losing their business license.
Death of a partner
The next classification of concerns are related ones with illness and health. In this category, Polish companies are most afraid of the death of a partner (56%) and a serious accident of the respondent (46%). In turn, 35 percent is afraid of a serious illness, flu or other infectious disease that will make it impossible to conduct business. Companies also indicated that they were afraid of an employee suffering from a serious illness (33%), and a similar percentage (32%) were afraid of flu or another infectious disease. The death of a key employee causes concern for 30 percent. subjects.
Jan Grzegorz Prądzyński, president of PIU, quoted in the study, noted that the level of these concerns is higher than the risk of their occurrence. “Moreover, accidents or diseases that affect entrepreneurs personally raise greater concerns than those affecting employees,” Prądzyński pointed out.
Other concerns
Respondents are also worried about your property and money. Nearly half (48%) are afraid thatthey lack funds to treat a serious illness, and a similar percentage (45%) believe that such a situation is likely. In turn, the failure of key equipment causes concern for 41 percent. respondents, and 37% consider it probable.
Data loss 36% are afraid. entrepreneurs. A similar percentage (35% each) is worried about armed conflict and cyberattack. These events are likely to occur according to approximately 30 percent. respondents. 43% of people are afraid of climate change, drought and heavy rain. subjects. Half believe that their occurrence is likely.
Company representatives agree that insurance is useful in the event of, for example, a fire in the company (69%). According to them, climate change affects everyone to the same extent (56%), although natural disasters do not occur in their towns (55%). More than half (54%) of entrepreneurs said that they had to work despite infections, e.g. flu.
In turn, 33 percent declares that he uses medical services under private health insurance. A similar group (30%) emphasizes that they would be happy to insure their employees with private health insurance if they could take advantage of tax breaks. “This is very important, especially since until recently purchasing private group health insurance was the domain of larger companies,” said the authors of the study.
Moreover, almost half (45%) of respondents believe that they would have more money in retirement if they worked for someone full-time. A similar percentage (49%) considers Employee Capital Plans and Employee Pension Plans as useful tools for the retirement security of their employees. The state pension system is considered useful by 69 percent.
Failure to pay on time
Half of entrepreneurs (50%) declare that they would have to close their company if key customers did not pay on time. In turn, in the event of a fire, 45% of them would interrupt their activities. subjects. “Entrepreneurs feel the significant effects of market changes, such as inflation (48%), high fuel prices reducing the profitability of companies (43%), and high electricity prices that forced them to increase the prices of goods or services (42%),” they added authors of the study.
The survey was conducted by SW Research on behalf of the Polish Chamber of Insurance among 1,504 Polish small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in November and December 2024 (PAP)