If observing the market behavior of a company is fundamental for management decisions; despite seeming distant, especially from micro-entrepreneurs, general economic indicators also support interesting analyses.
As reported by a story prepared by Portal Exame, numbers such as inflation, employment rates, and consumption can affect sales and business activity in small companies. Therefore, Exame.Com has selected five indicators considered fundamental, discussing their relationship with the administrative routine of small businesses. Follow along!
Economic activity level: Highlighted by the report as the main factor to observe, it allows for an analysis of the economy's pace through GDP tracking. The most noticeable effect is on sales, which rise during periods of good economic activity and fall during recessions.;
– Household consumption: The number that allows for the analysis of this thermometer is the ICF (Family Consumption Intention), indicating Brazilians' openness to consumption. The main impact is also on sales, which fall when consumers are fearful, as mentioned by Adriano Gomes, a Finance Professor in the Business Administration course at ESPM, in an interview with Portal Exame.
Exchange rate This is an indicator that has an impact on the daily operations of companies that, for example, use imported materials. However, the main ones affected, according to professor Adriano Gomes, are businesses that rely on importing and distributing. He emphasizes in an interview with Exame.Com that these companies “have inventory purchased in foreign currency but sell in reais. Any change in the exchange rate can be detrimental,” he states. Segments that compete with the international market, such as the textile and toy industries, are also mentioned in the article as points of attention regarding exchange rate changes.
– Export and import pace: According to the ESPM professor interviewed by Portal Exame, the rise in exports opens up opportunities for the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. Data to monitor in this regard are mainly news about the trade balance released by the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade.
– Employment level: The pace of employment is another fundamental indicator. As Sebrae Paulista consultant Pedro Gonçalves explains in the Exame Portal report, lower unemployment levels increase demand for better wages, which affects companies' finances. Hiring is another factor directly related to employability, and it can become easier or more difficult depending on the pace of job creation. This is without mentioning that, as the consultant also points out, more employed people means more purchasing power for small businesses to take advantage of.
– Inflation: Although, according to Professor Adriano Gomes, small and medium-sized enterprises do not usually set prices according to the pace of inflation, prices are the main influencing factor of the number. For management routines, it is also worth observing the effects of inflation on aspects such as loans and financing.
With information from Portal Exame
