SMEs are becoming an important client niche for banks. For the time being, the level of financing for such companies is low; both in terms of the number of companies funded and for the number of banking products absorbed on the market. These were the conclusions drawn from the seminar titled "SMEs, retail or corporate," organised by Ziarul Financiar in collaboration with BRD-SocGen. The number of SMEs operating in the economy has risen significantly in the last few years and bankers are beginning to show interest in this segment, which can be expected to sustain the growth of the banking sector over the next period, believes Aurel Ilin, manager of the SME financing division within BRD-SocGen, the second largest bank on the market. "The last few years have seen a positive trend in the rate of new SMEs being set up. This indicator shows how friendly the business environment is and how easy it is for entrepreneurs to find opportunities on the market," commented Ilin. According to the information he presented, some 38,000 of the over 43,000 SMEs on the market have less than two million-euro turnover a year. This is where the specificity of the SME financing market arises from, says the BRD representative: the fragile financial structure and the low guarantee possibility. "However," he says, "clients on this segment are becoming more and more demanding, so we can establish that the clientele are becoming more professional. Also, the interest margin for the financing of these companies is decreasing, especially for some target clients." "All SMEs say they know their financing needs, but not all know exactly what products match these needs", added the bank representative.
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