OREANDA-NEWS. December 04, 2013. Enterprises in Viljandi County quite hopeful about 2014, and their plans include both increasing turnover and creating new jobs, as indicated in the survey “Viljandi County Business Barometer 2014” conducted among SEB business clients in the county.

“When looking at the results of Viljandi County, courage and the belief that 2014 will be successful for enterprises stand out. Compared to other counties, there is more optimism about the increase in turnover and exports, reflected in the wish of enterprises who participated in the survey to create more than 60 jobs next year. Industrial and energy sectors are doing well in the county,” commented Eerika-Vaikmae-Koit, Head of Retail Banking and Technology and Member of the Management Board of SEB Pank.

Almost all of the 60 enterprises surveyed in Viljandi County are planning turnover growth for 2014. Turnover growth exceeding 15 per cent is forecast by 20 per cent of enterprises, a more optimistic outlook than a year ago when 11 per cent of enterprises expected such high turnover growth. The highest turnover growth is expected in the industrial and energy sector, but somewhat surprisingly there are fewer optimists in the agricultural sector.

Twenty-eight per cent of enterprises surveyed in Viljandi County plan to create new jobs, which means the addition of 62 new jobs. The survey last year estimated the creation of 30 new jobs, which also shows optimism increasing. Unlike several other counties, none of the enterprises mentioned that they plan to reduce jobs. The industrial and energy sector is the most active creator of new jobs.

Thirty-eight per cent (41 per cent a year ago) of the county’s enterprises are planning on entering new export markets or expanding their activities on existing export markets, which is a good indicator when considering the situation on export markets. Eighty-two per cent of the industrial enterprises surveyed are planning to increase their volumes on export markets.

Fifty-three percent of industrial and agricultural sector enterprises are planning investments of over EUR 30,000, meaning that the investment activity will remain on the current level.

While 78 per cent of the enterprises in Viljandi County planned innovation activities last year, then 67 per cent have this plan for 2014. The most innovative sectors are the transport, industrial and energy sector, mainly dealing with the development of products and services.

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

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