OREANDA-NEWS.  November 14, 2013. Enterprises from Laane County, who are SEB’s clients, are cautiously optimistic about their outlooks for 2014, as indicated in the survey “Laanemaa Business Barometer 2014”, conducted among our business clients in the county.

“In Laane County, it is great to see that there are viable enterprises with a potential for growth in places other than Haapsalu, such as Risti, Virtsu and Lihula. The county’s export sector is dominated by industrial and energy enterprises, although Laane County’s ability to act as a tourist attraction, and thereby draw in funds from abroad, is considerable,” commented Eerika-Vaikmae-Koit, Head of Retail Banking and Technology and Member of the Management Board of SEB Pank.

Out of the 46 enterprises surveyed in Laane County, 7% estimate growth of more than 15% in their turnover for 2014, which is one percentage point less than last year. The sectors of agriculture, fisheries, and forestry are the most optimistic.

Export prospects seem to be more modest when compared to the present year: instead of 24%, only 13% of the enterprises are planning on entering new export markets or expanding their activities on existing export markets.

Investments exceeding EUR 30,000 are planned by 22% of the enterprises of Laane County, which is 27 percentage points less than in the previous survey. The majority of investments are directed towards upgrading the company’s equipment, with a significant share also invested in information technology and energy conservation measures.

Five of the enterprises surveyed in Laane County are planning on creating new jobs, which means the addition of nearly seven new jobs.

Fifty-four per cent of Laane County’s enterprises are planning innovation activities for the next year. They have chosen the path of innovation in order to be able to increase sales and improve their services under conditions of intense competition.

This autumn, SEB conducted its second counselling programme across Estonia, in the framework of which representatives from the bank visited 900 small and medium-sized Estonian enterprises in 15 counties to help them complete a financial analysis for next year.

As part of this counselling project SEB also compiled a survey, called the Business Barometer, which was to map out the entrepreneurs’ expectations for the year 2014. The entrepreneurs assessed future turnover developments, staff number changes, export and innovation plans, and proposed investments in their companies for 2014.