KRD: only 13% of microbusinesses want to grow at the cost of greater risk
Most owners of the smallest companies focus on gradual growth and measure it by profit rather than employment. Fewer than one in four expect growth over the next year.
13% of microbusinesses are ready for dynamic expansion, even at the cost of greater risk. This is according to the study “At Your Own Pace. The Ambitions and Limits of Microbusiness Growth,” which IMAS International conducted in July 2026 on behalf of the National Debt Register Economic Information Bureau (KRD BIG). 62% of entrepreneurs want to develop their business, but without excessive risk. 75% of respondents are open to growth at all.
Owners of microbusinesses understand growth primarily as an increase in profits (about 54%; one summary of the study gives the figure of 52%) and revenue (44%). Next they mention a larger number of customers (37%) and business stability (35%). Hiring new people was indicated by 7% of respondents, and international activity by 4%.
24% of entrepreneurs expect growth over the next 12 months, while 42% are unable to assess it. The greatest optimism is visible in companies operating for up to five years: 36% of them consider growth likely. In companies with more than ten years of experience, this share drops to 16%, while the share of pessimists rises to 40%.
In this respect, there are more pessimists than optimists. It can also be assumed that company growth is a long-term goal, extending beyond a one-year horizon.
Entrepreneurs who do not expect growth most often cite no need or desire for further development as the reason (38%). One in four points to declining demand for their products or services, and one in five to the market changing too quickly.
The study was conducted using the CAWI method (online survey) on a group of 507 sole proprietors. Only people working on their own or employing no more than nine people qualified for it. The results were reported, among others, by the PAP news agency.
For owners of the smallest companies, the data show that a cautious pace of growth is the majority strategy in this group, and success is more often measured by profit than by the number of jobs or presence in foreign markets.