THE PERFOR MANCE OF THE SMES IN POLAND DURING AND AFTER FINANCIAL CRISIS AND ECONOMIC DOWNTURN – ON THE EU-28 BACKGROUND

The aim of the paper is to assess the financial condition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland during and after financial crisis 2008–2010 and the economic downturn. In this paper a thesis was advanced that the consequences of the downturn were felt by the entire sector, but each group of the companies was affected to a different degree. The companies in the sector of SME were assessed based on selected financial data. Moreover, the article includes assessment of the sector’s importance for the polish economy. The analysis is based on data from secondary sources published by Central Statistical Office, Eurostat and Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. The temporal scope of the study encompasses the years 2007–2016. The analysis of selected financial data is enough to state that although the economic downturn led to a temporary fall in the revenue level, financial result or profitability, the economic standing of the sector generally improved throughout the period analysed (2007–2016).


Introduction
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises constitute 99.8% of all economic entities in Poland. The significance of this group of entities for the economic growth and employment is unquestionable, which is proved by scientific research and numerous reports. Qimiao Fan indicates that SME's are not only an engine for the growth but also essential for competitive and efficient market as well as critical for the poverty reduction (Fan, 2003).
The economic crisis (2008)(2009)(2010) resulted not only in bearish sentiments on stock exchanges, problems of financial institutions and sovereign debt crisis of some of the European countries, but in economic problems across Europe as well, manifesting themselves in the downturn, or even recession.
Against the background of Europe, Poland turned out to be relatively resistant to the transmission of turbulences on the financial market to the real economy. Nevertheless, the economic downturn did affect Poland, which was why studies on the condition of the sector were commenced. Nevertheless the financial crisis also has its beneficiaries, it teaches humility and modesty, it gives new impulses (Sadowska, 2010). It is possible that the beneficiaries might be SMEs.
The aim of the present paper is to assess the condition of the sector of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland in the times of the economic downturn following the financial crisis till 2016. A thesis was advanced that the consequences of the downturn were felt by the entire sector, but each group of the companies was affected to a different degree. The companies in the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises were assessed based on selected financial data (revenues, financial result, profitability, investment). Moreover, the article includes assessment of the sector's importance for the economy, performed through the determination of their participation in the added value or employment. The analysis is based on data from secondary sources published by the Ministry of Economy, Central Statistical Office, Eurostat and Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. The dynamics of the basic financial data and digits typical of the sector of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises were analysed.
The paper is organized as follows: the second chapter presents a brief view on the economic situation in Poland in 2008-2016. The third chapter describes the economic significance of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland comparing with EU-28 and then the fourth discusses the development and financial standing of micro, small and medium-sized companies in 2007-2016. The final part contains conclusion.

The view on the economic situation in Poland in 2007-2016
The real economy in Poland started to feel the consequences of the financial crisis later than the countries of the European Union or the USA, namely, in 2009. Between 2006 and 2007, the GDP pace exceeded 6% per annum and was twice as high as in the EU Member States. In the years 2007-2012, despite drops on the stock exchange and a significant downslope of the GDP growth rate in the EU, in Poland, the GDP was still positive. In next years between 2013-2016 the growth of GDP both in Poland and EU-28 showed the similar tendency and was in both cases positive ( Figure 1).
Next to the drop in the GDP dynamics, there were other signals of the economic downturn in Poland, like decided drop in investment dynamics or rise in unemployment. Dynamic of the investment was positive in 2007-2008, then there was decrease in 2009 and very low growth in 2010. In the exception year 2011 the growth was recorded, but as it is visible on Figure 2 there was no clear positive tendency in this area. The polish entitles were careful in deciding on investments.
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Economic significance of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland in 2008-2016 -main issues
The Polish Act on Freedom of Economic Activity stipulates the same criteria for distinguishing company categories, divided by size, as are in place in the European Union. 1 Similarly to the European Union, the dominant type of companies in Poland are micro companies, which constitute 96% of the total number of enterprises (Działalność przedsiębiorstw..., 2016). Their participation in the overall number of all companies is higher than the average in the EU, which might be caused by the high self-employment rate in Poland. On the other hand, the number of small companies is lower when compared to the average of all EU countries. This, in turn, might suggest potential problems with the development of the activity from the micro to the small scale.

Dominika Kordela
Participation in added value and participation in creation the workplaces are commonly used criteria for assessing the importance of the sector of micro, small and medium for the economy of the particular country. The table below presents the comparison of the strength of SME's in European Union and Poland, the presented indicators are used by European Union's institutions for assessment of the importance of the sector for the economy. According to Annual Report on European SME's prepared by European Commission micro, small and mediumsized companies in Poland create 68.5% of workplaces. The great significance on employment have especially micro companies that engage more that 36% of the workforce in Poland. As previously mentioned the higher rate than EU-average (29.8%) is caused by high level of self-employment which actually is type of micro-enterprise.
In accordance with the data by Eurostat the sector generate in Poland added value at the level of 52.6%. As indicated by the Eurostat data, the participation of the sector of micro, small and medium-sized companies in Poland in gross added value is lower than the EU average. Data in the table 1 point to the significantly smaller participation of the micro and small companies in added value and bigger than in the EU added value generated by medium-sized enterprises.
The data mentioned above indicates that micro, small and medium entitles play a very important role in a national economy of Poland similarly like it is in other EU-member states. Although the significance and the strength of both the entire sector and the each group of companies differs from EU average.

Development and financial standing of micro, small and medium-sized companies in 2008-2016
Although, in principle, in the period subject to the study (when we compare 2016 to 2007), the number of companies in all groups of the sector grew (Table 2) The performance of the SMEs in Poland during and after financial crisis and economic downturn -on the EU-28 background but actually the issue is more complicated. The data of Polish Agency for Enterprise Development consists the information about: total number of registered enterprises, the number of active enterprises, the number of new registered enterprises and the number of enterprises liquidated. Analysis of these data indicates that in 2008 there was an increase in the number of new registered companies in each group of the sector (comparing to 2007) but in 2011 the increase was noticed only in the group of small and medium companies.  The diagnosis of the financial situation of the SMEs sector in Poland has been based on following elements: revenues from total activity, gross financial result, profitability rate of gross turnover.

The research published in Report on the condition of the sector of small and medium-sized companies in
The Figure 3 presents the revenues in SME's -it is visible that the toughest year was 2009. In 2007-2016, the enterprises reported growth in revenue (assuming that 2007 was the base year). In micro firms revenues grew by 29%, the highest grow amounted 33% in small companies, and the revenues of medium entitles increased by 20%. The dynamic in 2012 and 2013 was very low (except small companies), in following years the strongest growth reported micro firms. The micro and the medium companies had higher revenues but on the other hand the small companies had the greatest dynamic of the growth in revenues in 2008, 2010, 2011.

Dominika Kordela
It can be said that the financial crisis and economic downturn did not significantly affect the sector of small and medium-sized companies in terms of revenue. The dynamics of the growth in the revenue (YoY) in all groups was negative only in 2009. It afflicted small enterprises the most (-10%), while micro and medium-sized companies reported a drop by 6%. In medium-sized companies the dynamics of revenues was as well negative in 2012 and 2013, in the group of small-sized companies was negative in 2015 and 2016. Actually the best conditions -in terms of the dynamics in the revenues -during hole period were among micro and small companies. Namely comparing 2016 and 2007 it was increase of respectively 41 and 50%.  2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2016). The recovery of medium-sized companies was the weakest among SMEs -the growth of revenues comparing 2016 and 2007 amounted 19%, and was lower than in micro and small onces.
Assessment of the level of profitability of gross turnover is indicative of its relative stability in the period analysed (differences from 1 to 3% in each group). The highest rate in the sector of micro, small and medium-sized companies belongs to micro-companies and in the period in question fluctuated between 11.40 (the lowest in 2012) and 17.57%. The profitability of small companies was the poorest in 2011 and in 2016 (respectively 6.58 and 5.5%). Medium-sized companies are characterized by the lowest profitability in the entire sector (between 4.0% in 2012 and 6.73% in 2010).
The downturn in the economy causes the restricted expenses' decision in companies. Analysis of the expenditures on investments indicates that micro-companies increased them successively throughout the period analysed, while small and medium-sized companies reduced their expenses in 2009-2010. But actually differences in each group during hole analysed period (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016) were not very high.
Vol. 27/1, 3/2018 The performance of the SMEs in Poland during and after financial crisis and economic downturn -on the EU-28 background The data presented above indicate that polish SMEs have already recover from the consequences of the financial crises and the economic downturn. Moreover performance figures presented in the Annual Report on European SMEs (pp. 27-28) at EU-28 level show very positive developments of this group of entitles in Poland and proof a strong recovery from the last financial crisis and economic downturn. It is worth to add that Poland is among nine 3 EU countries that show complete recovery in terms of number of SMEs, employment in this sector and added value created in this group of entitles.