In the last two years almost half (48%) of Brescia’s SMEs have strengthened in terms of recapitalization. In the same period, the debt position of companies has tended to decrease, both in the short and long term. At the same time, companies complain about a widespread deterioration in relations with the banking system, in particular due to the lack of contact persons. This is observed in the ‘Finance’ focus carried out by the Confapi Brescia Study Centre, questioning a sample of 100 associated companies, mostly in the metalworking sector and with turnovers between two and 10 million euros.
Since the beginning of 2020 – recalls the focus – the exceptional conditions experienced (Covid closures, tightening of raw materials, speculative growth in material prices, geopolitical tensions) have put the ordinary management of SMEs to the test. Nonetheless, in the last two years, various indicators have shown a progressively improving situation, also from a financial point of view.
Going into detail about the numbers, as regards the recapitalization process, 48% of companies observe an improvement in the last two years, compared to 8% who note a decrease in their own capital (44% remain stable).
The company’s credit situation is more stable, with debt decreasing. In fact, around a third of companies recorded a reduction in debt in both the short and long term. A little less than half of the companies have a constant debt situation, worth mentioning is the 26% of companies that increase their debt in the medium-long term, a figure which is also an indication of support for development and planning activities ‘business. Among those who opened new credit lines in 2024, in seven out of ten cases it was for specific investment choices while other reasons such as covering material costs, personnel expenses or a drop in demand are very distant.
As regards relations with the banking system – which has long been characterized by aggregation processes – 57% of companies perceive a worsening in relations with credit institutions. First of all, there is a lack of stable contact people with whom to deal with (83% of respondents), there are technical-bureaucratic difficulties and too much documentation to produce (67%), the approval times for credit lines are extended (53%). A fairly high figure, which however clashes with that 25% of companies which instead observe an improvement in the relationship with banks, thanks to the increasingly widespread use of complex IT tools, which improve efficiency and offer more targeted services in relation to the needs of businesses. The discomfort felt among the majority of companies could therefore be in part only temporary, the result of a situation of profound digital transformation involving
credit institutions also have depth. A reading of this type is also supported by the fact that the average relationship between companies and the first credit institution is in any case more than 22 years.
Finally, the focus analyzed the topic of ESG sustainability in relations with banks. In general, the level of knowledge on ESG issues is quite widespread and concerns almost half of the companies (however, the awareness of the possible competitive advantage that this brings is lower and the degree of adoption in the company even more so), less than 20% of the companies who consider ESG issues relevant in relations with credit institutions.
A process still in its early stages, to be read carefully. All the companies that carry out an assessment of their degree of circularity then use it in their relations with the banks, which is also done by half of the companies that also produce the sustainability report. As in the case of relations in general with banks, in this case too there could therefore be a group of ‘trailblazer’ companies which, before others, have started and are riding the ongoing transformation. Also on the ESG front.
«The fact that a good portion of SMEs have strengthened in terms of capitalization is very positive and a sign of good maturity of our entrepreneurs – says Pierluigi Cordua, president of Confapi Brescia and Lombardy -. Having a more capitalized company means having a better company resistant e more in degree Of absorb The shock Of market, Unfortunately Always frequent in the landscape current”. On the relationship con The institutes Of credit, Cordua observe: “Many businesses they detect unfortunately a relationship difficulty, linked to the difficulty of having officials and figures of
reference that do not change and that are able to give quick answers. The most advanced companies e Better digitized, I am those That they exploit al Better the modern platforms online from the banks making operation more fast e slim.” Finally, on ESG: “The sustainability a 360° And now part of the business activity, which cannot be ignored. In increasingly frequent cases it allows access to dedicated financing lines: this is not out of sympathy but because the companies most active on the sustainability front appear to be the most resistant and resilient.”
