IMPACT OF SMALL BUSINESS DIFFICULTIES, IN ACCHIEVING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE SITUATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Abstract

Given the importance of businesses in the world, economies everywhere are given special attention. Hence the concern for their delineation as appropriate, with the intention to create conditions for broader and more effective participation in economic activities in or involved. The role of small businesses is very critical for the economic development, social uplifting and political stability of every country. Businesses are diverse in nature. Businesses can be established for any kind of business activities in urban or rural area. Like everything else, the business environment itself varies by adapting to modern standards. Regardless of size, place of business, annual turnover, any business wherever it operates faces various difficulties affecting the achievement of the goal. The dinamic environment and complexity mean hyperchange, hipercompetition and hyperturbulence. The digital revolution, information age, the digital economy, the internet economy, web economy, knowledge-based society, a time of discontinuity, time of uncertainty are expressions that are familiar to the business so that it can achieve a competitive advantage. The rise in competition globally on the one hand, and the rapid development of information and comunication technologies on the other hand, are forcing the businesses to change the way they operate. In terms of today's dynamic, heterogeneous and insecure surrounding, bussineses must be ready to cope with the difficulties that arise, so that they can prosper and survive. A sucsessful business needs to overcome difficulties by discovering potential opportunities that will enable it to gain competitive advantage. It means that sucessful businesses can be those that can withstand the recent changes and adapt the tire activity thanks to the new entrepreneurial spirit incorporated in the business. Competitive advantage and the best position in the market reaches those businesses that create a similar performance or better than competitors, manage applying innovations, provide superior products and services that guarantee sucess and positive image for business. The purpose of this paper lies in the analysis of the difficulties that arise as a barrier to small businesses and finding ways to overcome them, with the sole purpose of achieving the best position on the market. Namely, the paper examines the impact of the challenges on the overall operation of businesses, in order to achieve competitive adventage.