Conditions for Sustainable Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in Russia

Support of small and medium-sized business is an urgent task for any state, since small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the driving force for the development of a market economy. The contribution investigates issues of the state regulation of SMEs, the main government projects and development programs. The authors studied the main indicators of SME development and the effectiveness of the implementation of national projects in this sphere. Such indicators as the number of self-employed people, aspiring entrepreneurs who received financial support, the total number of services of the created digital platform, etc. were considered. A comparison of actual and planned indicators and the dynamics of their development reflect a generally positive trend in the development of SMEs. However, a number of entrepreneurs are faced with problems such as a decrease in effective demand, a reduction in revenue, and a shortage of personnel. This requires intensifying efforts and increasing the effectiveness of government-implemented projects and programs in the field of small and medium-sized businesses. The authors examined the main forms of state support for small and medium-sized businesses that are currently being implemented, and made recommendations for their improvement and strengthening of certain areas. In particular, these include preferential financing for micro-businesses, participation in procurement of major customers, tax support, interregional cooperation, and export activities of entities.