MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISES IN LEBANON

• Acquisition of modern technology• Revenues• Domestic marketing• Exports• Adding new productsFor each of the above mentioned variable, the entrepreneur had to specify if it is going to grow, staystable or decrease (contraction) during the year 2005. Table 37 shows these expectations.Table 37: Future ExpectationsExpectations for the futureActivity Contraction Stable Growth Total Do not knowEmployment 5% 78% 17% 100% 14%Area of economic unit m² 2% 81% 17% 100% 13%Output 7% 51% 42% 100% 20%Assets (land, building, equipment) 5% 72% 23% 100% 24%Acquisition of modern technology 5% 62% 34% 100% 27%Revenues 14% 50% 36% 100% 30%Domestic marketing 9% 36% 54% 100% 28%Exports 8% 73% 19% 100% 49%Adding new products 6% 57% 37% 100% 46%An index was elaborated in order to consolidate the results and allow cross-tabulation.The index calculation was applied as follow:• “do not know” answers were excluded• a point equivalent to (-1) was given to answers “Contraction”• a point equivalent to (0) was given to answers “Stable”• a point equivalent to (+1) was given to answers “Growth”It is interesting to note that the lowest growth expectations are in employment and in the surface ofeconomic unit. The biggest contraction is likely to occur in the revenues section, followed bydomestic marketing and output. The biggest increase in expectations is in domestic marketing,followed by output, new products, revenues, and technology.The Figures 12 and 13 illustrate future expectations index according to gender and size of MSEs.Figure 12 illustrates that female entrepreneurs are more optimistic than male entrepreneurs when itcomes to employment, revenues, and acquisition of modern technology. Male entrepreneurs are moreoptimistic when it comes to domestic marketing, exports, and assets.In terms of size, there is a positive relationship between positive expectations and size of enterprise.Enterprises with 10-49 employees are significantly more optimistic regarding almost all issues, butare particularly positive on exports, revenues, and employment.40