Analysis of key factors affecting small business security

Abstract

Abstract: The article presents an analysis of the main economic, organizational, legal, technological, and social factors shaping the security level of small businesses in an unstable environment. The most critical threats are identified, and recommendations are proposed for their mitigation using tools of crisis management. The aim of the study is to identify and analyze the key factors affecting small business security in order to develop recommendations for enhancing their resilience in a turbulent environment. The study employs a combination of methods, including analysis and synthesis for generalizing scientific approaches to the classification of security factors, comparative analysis to identify differences in the impact of factors on small businesses in Ukraine and abroad, expert assessment methods to determine their priority, and statistical analysis for processing survey data and official reports to substantiate conclusions. The results show that the greatest impact on small business security in the current Ukrainian context comes from economic factors (financial market instability, inflation, limited access to credit), legal factors (frequent changes in legislation, complexity of regulatory procedures), and political risks related to military actions and political instability. Organizational aspects, such as management efficiency and human resource potential, as well as technological challenges, including the need to improve cybersecurity, also play a significant role. The analysis demonstrates that a comprehensive approach to ensuring small business security, combining crisis management, financial planning, legal support, and the implementation of modern IT solutions, significantly reduces the impact of negative factors. The recommendations proposed in the study can serve as a practical basis for developing a resilience strategy for small businesses in highly turbulent environments. Conclusions: The study allowed for the systematization and analysis of key factors determining the security level of small businesses, revealing the dominant influence of economic, legal, political, organizational, and technological factors in the current Ukrainian context. It was established that enhancing enterprise resilience is possible only through a comprehensive approach that integrates crisis management, financial stabilization, legal protection, and the implementation of innovative technologies, collectively forming an effective system for ensuring business security.