The following brief analysis examines what factors local businesses consider as their performance and success. The analysis was based on the database of the IEER April 2014 Business Climate Survey, which is Hungary’s largest company-wide survey of its kind. The April survey is based on the responses of 2,606 company executives. The sample was made up of 58% micro enterprises (less than 10 people), 17% of small businesses (between 10-49 persons), 16% of medium-sized enterprises (between 50-249 persons), and 10% of large enterprises (250 persons and above). Thus, our study primarily applies to micro-enterprises.

Our results show that the majority of domestic enterprises are proud of the positive characteristics (e.g. quality, uniqueness) of their products and services. The second most common response was that entrepreneurs considered the very survival of their company as a major success. A majority of respondents were proud that they managed to retain customers or attract new ones, and the fact that customers were satisfied with their work. Nearly one in ten respondents pointed out that they managed to maintain or increase staff numbers. Also, nearly one-tenth of interviewees viewed as one of their major achievements the fact that revenue remained the same or even increased.