The Most Needed Service in Small Business Expertise: 'Free Expert Consultation'

Korea Federation of SMEs Announces 'Survey on Challenges in Specialized Knowledge Areas for Small Enterprises and Small Business Owners'

'Survey on Difficulties in Specialized Knowledge Areas for Small Businesses and Small Merchants' - Most Needed Support Projects

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] It has been found that the most needed support for small business owners in the field of specialized knowledge is 'free expert consultation.' The Korea Federation of SMEs (Chairman Kim Ki-moon) announced on the 10th the results of the 'Survey on Difficulties in Specialized Knowledge Areas for Small Enterprises and Small Business Owners,' conducted on 300 small enterprises and small business owners subscribed to the Yellow Umbrella.

According to the survey, 59.7% of respondents said that specialized knowledge such as legal, tax, and labor matters is necessary when managing their businesses, and 36.7% answered that their businesses lack the capability to respond independently to issues requiring specialized knowledge. The most needed support was identified as 'expansion of free expert consultation opportunities' (30.3%), followed by 'provision of consultation cases by field' (29.3%), and 'provision of expert information' (13.3%).

Additionally, 76% of businesses reported having 'no personnel with specialized knowledge at all,' and when problems requiring specialized knowledge arose, 72.3% responded that they 'utilize external experts to cope,' indicating a reliance on external experts due to a lack of internal personnel capable of handling such issues. Furthermore, 21.3% of respondents experienced unfair treatment or damage related to legal, tax, or labor issues in the past five years, and these small enterprises and small business owners suffered damages such as 'financial loss' (79.7%) and 'mental distress' (70.3%). The most common reason for resolving problems independently without external expert assistance was 'cost reduction' (46.3%), showing a perceived burden of professional service fees.

Park Yong-man, head of the Korea Federation of SMEs’ Mutual Aid Business Group, stated, "Small enterprises and small business owners need a systematic free consultation support system for specialized fields where cost and information barriers are high," adding, "We will strive to ensure that the Small Enterprise and Small Business Management Support Group operated by the Federation can perform this role well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.