Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in Certain Areas of the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation in the Context of State Support Measures and the Regions' Own Potential

The relevance. The main problem of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Russian Federation is that government support measures are not always an incentive to development: the dominance of large businesses,the difficult economic situation and the desire for stable profits often force SME organizations to simply exist on state-provided capital in isolation from the regional economic situation. The solution to this problem forms the relevance of the chosen topic. The purpose of this study is to study the main statistical patterns of changes in the financial situation of SMEs in the regions of the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation in terms of their quantitative and qualitative development. Objectives. To achieve this goal, an analysis of official statistical data on SMEs in certain regions of the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation was carried out: their position in the general federal rating, revenue and number of employees, as well as the total number of SMEs over a five-year period. Methodology. To obtain the results of the study, general scientific methods were used: induction, deduction; statistical methods: observation, grouping, analysis of dynamics and structure. Results: the share of SMEs in the Russian economy in comparison with developed European countries is analyzed; the main problems associated with the resulting low proportion of SMEs in our country are presented; the analysis of the structure of small business in Russia by industry is carried out; a comparative analysis of the revenue indicators of SME enterprises, taking into account relevant government support measures, is also presented, the dynamics of the number of organizations in the SME sector is presented, the dynamics of economic indicators of the turnover of funds and the average number of jobs in SME organizations are reflected; the measures of state support for SMEs are considered and their effectiveness is assessed. Conclusion. State centralized financial support for small and medium-sized businesses, without any doubt, is, if not an incentive to development, then at least a guarantee of the survival of many enterprises in this business segment.