Small businesses: a crisis that is becoming entrenched

The problem is no longer just the crisis: it is now the inability to deal with it

In the first quarter of 2026:

• 63% of managers are experiencing a decline in their revenue
• 70% a decrease in their margin
• 60% a deterioration in their cash flow

In this context, social and tax charges appear as the main factor blocking the economic model of very small businesses.

For Marc Sanchez, Secretary General of SDI: "The current social and fiscal system is transforming an economic slowdown into a lasting structural crisis. We're not asking for charity, but for the ability to breathe. Charges are no longer just a cost; they've become a barrier preventing our artisans, shopkeepers, and small business owners from getting their heads above water."

A breaking point: the impossibility of adjusting costs

The SDI analysis highlights a central mechanism: SMEs theoretically have levers for adaptation, but these are currently blocked.

• 66% identify expenses as the primary source of pressure on cash flow
• 55% as the main obstacle to their business
• 75% as the primary obstacle to hiring

Charges are no longer just a cost: they become a structural barrier that prevents any adaptation.

An economy that survives… at the cost of destructive trade-offs

• 50% of executives have forgone their compensation in recent months
• 29% payment to their suppliers
• 16% are delaying their payments
• 26% are postponing their investments

These mechanisms allow businesses to survive in the short term, but weaken them in the long term.

A paradox of work: an activity that exists but is not viable

63% of employers could offer more hours if they were exempt from charges.

The problem is not the lack of activity, but the cost of labor, which prevents its development.

A profound deterioration of the entrepreneurial climate

• 92% of managers express a negative mindset
• 47% are paid below the minimum wage
• Among them, one in two executives depends on their spouse's income to live

This situation reflects a lasting deterioration in the status of leaders.

A risk of the economic fabric falling apart

• 36% of managers are considering ceasing their activity
• 33% are looking to sell their business
• 64% cite frustration as their main motivation
• Only 20% would recommend undertaking [this] today.

The risk is no longer just economic: it is becoming structural.

An international context that amplifies an already structural crisis

• 83% of managers are seeing a negative impact from the international context on their business

Rising costs, falling consumption and uncertainties reinforce an already constrained situation, without being the main cause.

A crisis that is now structural

The SDI barometer highlights a triple crisis:

• Economic: decline in activity and margins
• Financial: cash flow problems
• Structural: inability to adjust costs

The role of expenses is central: they transform an economic slowdown into a lasting crisis. Very small businesses are not asking to be protected from the crisis. They are asking to be able to adapt to it.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.