MIPP researcher presents study on the positive impact of professional advice on entrepreneurs

The researcher of the Millennium Institute MIPP, Patricio Valenzuela, highlighted the positive impact that the professional advice of the Business Centres (Centros de Negocios) has had on the performance of the small and medium-sized companies supported by Sercotec.

The advice and support provided by the 51 Business Development Centers, where expert mentors advise small and medium-sized companies, has a positive impact that Patricio Valenzuela, researcher with the MIPP Institute and the Industrial Engineering department at the University of Chile, was able to demonstrate in the “Meeting of the Support Network for Small Businesses”, organized by Sercotec.

The researcher presented the results of the study “Impact Evaluation of Business Centers”, conducted at the Public Systems Center (CSP), which is part of the Industrial Engineering department at the University of Chile, inaugurating a new relationship between scientific research and public institutions. In addition, the conclusions were very positive.
In his presentation, Patricio Valenzuela stated that the advice given by the Business Development Centers in Chile has a positive effect in terms of the creation and formalization of jobs for SMEs.

“Specifically, the results indicated that the clients of the centers experienced, in comparison to the control group, an increase in the total number workers, the number of workers formally hired and the number of full-time workers, as well as a reduction in the number of unpaid family workers, “he told the audience.

“In addition, the clients of the Business Centers expressed satisfaction in the areas of formalization and accounting, jobs, sales, banking and financing,” stated Valenzuela, adding that leadership and trust have a high degree of impact when it comes to entrepreneurship.

Likewise, the study established that the Business Centers helped improve the quality of work for both the employers and their workers. Approximately between 62% and 68% of the clients surveyed reported that the Business Centers provided sufficient or significant support on achieving “A better knowledge of labour standards”, “Exercising greater and better leadership” and “Improving teamwork”.

“Business Centers have a positive impact on their customers and this impact increases with time. The results of the study “Impact Evaluation of the Business Centers”, indicate that the Business Centers are a very important tool for any government that wants to generate new employment “said Patricio Valenzuela at the end of his presentation.

Communications Millennium Institute MIPP.