Activities of National Association of Small and
medium Business /NASMB/ regarding
Implementation of EU Small Business Act
First Forum for South East European Women
Entrepreneurs
21 – 22 of September, 2010, Istanbul
Eleonora Negulova – Chairperson of NASMB
NASMB - Bulgaria
• Mission – the organization is working for
improvement of business environment in
Bulgaria and Europe
• Main responsibilities:
• To represent its members in the dialogue with
local and central authorities
• To supports the members to increase their
competitiveness
NASMB - Bulgaria
• SMEs in Bulgaria
• SMEs represent 99.6 % of the total number of
enterprises with 1 to 249 persons employed
(222 025).
• Only 0.4 % of these are public, and their
number in 2008 was 869 –
• That means the small businesses in Bulgaria are
private!
NASMB - Bulgaria
• A recent research was conducted with 848 women at
the age from 20 to 55.
• 33,4% of them have their own businesses and the rest
are employees.
• 62,97% of the women entrepreneurs in Bulgaria are
university graduates,
• 35,14% are with secondary education, and
• 0,59% - with primary education.
• 0,35% of the business ladies have doctoral degrees.
• According to the last index Bulgarian women
entrepreneurs outrank their EU counterparts.
NASMB - Bulgaria
• According to National Statistic Institute figures,
the relative share of women entrepreneurs has
been about one-third of the SMEs.
• The percentage of women entrepreneurs in the
total number of self-employed persons is 37.7 %
according to the analysis carried out by CITUB
trade union experts published in 2006.
NASMB - Bulgaria
• By these numbers Bulgaria ranks 38 out of 134
countries. Among the EU countries, it holds a
place in the middle of the 27 Member States.
• Data from the National Statistical Institute of
Bulgaria on labour force survey results for 2009
show:
• economic participation rates at 72.3 % for men
and 67.7 % for women;
• employment rates /age 15-64/ at 67.7 % for men
and 59.0 % for women
NASMB - Bulgaria
• NASMB is supporting women entrepreneurship
in Bulgaria and on Balkans;
• 51 % of NASMB members have Ladies as
managers;
• NASMB’ Chairperson and Secretary General are
women ENTREPRENEURS;
• 80% of NASMB’ staff are women!
NASMB - Bulgaria
• NASMB is supporting women entrepreneurship in
accordance to EU Small Business Act by providing:
• Integrated consultancy services
• Access to organization networks and EU
funds/other capital/financial sources
• Support in business planning and management
• Helps in diversifying/restructuring the business
• And in implementing innovations
NASMB - Bulgaria
• NASMB creates partnerships with national &
international authorities/organizations to
• Exchange experience /knowledge
• To learn more about how to be better in
advocating the interests of its members and
• To share values of civil society participative
democracy acting as Civil Society Organization
signed the Global Compaq of United Nations
NASMB - Bulgaria
• Think small first – Small Business Act
/SBA/ of Europe principle!
• I - IMPROVING THE ACCESS TO FINANCE
• II - ENHANCING MARKET ACCESS
• III - A REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT IN
SUPPORT OF SMEs' NEEDS
• Is guiding NASMB in its activities!
NASMB - Bulgaria
• Think small first – SBA of Europe
principle!
• We implement projects in the scope of the
three SBA priorities:
• LLL – EUFCINET project; EUROCERTICON
project; SOCIALSME project; CREATIN Project;
ICT and LLL project
• European citizens working for the Global
Agenda 21;
NASMB - Bulgaria
• Think small first – SBA of Europe principle!
• Green energy project – OP ”Regional
Development”;
• LIDER in Bulgarian rural municipalities;
• Cross-Border cooperation projects with
RO/SER/GREECE/TURKEY and FYROM
• And others….
NASMB - Bulgaria
• Think small first – SBA of Europe principle!
• NASMB is the establisher of South East European
Business Network – SEE Net
• www.seenetwork.eu
• www.nasmb-bg.org
• negulova@abv.bg
• We invite you to join SEE Network!
• Thanks for your attention!