Understanding and Enhancing the Visibility and Diversity of Small Rural Businesses
Abstract ID: 3.11048 | Accepted as Talk | Talk | TBA | TBA
Daria Ernst (1)
Ingrid Machold (1), Karin Schroll (1)
Small Rural Businesses (SRBs) play a crucial role in fostering socio-economic resilience and regional development in rural areas. Despite their significance, SRBs often remain underrepresented in regional decision-making processes and economic development strategies. This presentation showcases a study conducted in the mountainous region Nockregion-Oberkärnten (Austria) as part of the ongoing HEU project RUSTIK, aimed at enhancing the visibility of SRBs in regional development processes.
The term “visibility” in this context encompasses multiple dimensions: spatial recognition, awareness-raising about SRBs’ role in the region and strengthening their presence in local governance. With SRBs making up 99% of all businesses in the Nockregion—a trend reflected across Austria—they serve as the economic backbone of the region by providing a diverse range of products, services, and employment opportunities, contributing to the region’s attractiveness. Nevertheless, small businesses usually face challenges such as low awareness about the regional products and services, competition from online trading, unoccupied positions, succession, affordable renting, and time constraints that hinder SRBs from addressing operational challenges effectively.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of SRBs’ role and challenges, we employed a mixed-method approach combining quantitative and qualitative data sources, including statistical datasets, spatial data, regional mapping workshops and an online survey. This cross-sectoral methodology provided a holistic view of business distribution, sectoral diversity and their perceived challenges.
Our findings reveal that integrating diverse data sources deepens the understanding of municipal economic patterns and sectoral diversity in the region. The study has stimulated increased interest among municipal leaders in supporting SRBs, and builds the foundation for further activities strengthening the role of SRBs in regional development, striving to contribute to shaping policies that better address the needs of SRBs, ultimately fostering more sustainable and resilient mountain communities.
This presentation will provide an overview of the research methodology, key results—including survey findings, spatial data analysis, and the SRB landscape—and discuss how these outcomes can contribute to more inclusive and effective regional development strategies.
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