A GLOBAL STUDY OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CONGOLESE BUSINESSES

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyse the factors that can influence the sustainability of very small businesses (VSEs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Congo. Double least squares is the method used, based on census data from the Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Crafts and the Informal Sector and the National Institute of Statistics. The results show that the factors explaining the sustainability of these businesses are the age and gender of the owner-manager, the size of the initial capital invested, the legal form, the location in an urban area and the growth of the business. Difficulties in accessing credit, electricity and raw materials are the main constraints on the survival of very small Congolese businesses.