Refreshments which are a mirage not due to the lack of resources but rather of technicians who are responsible for the assessments, difficulties in accessing credit and finding specialized personnel and the specter of a drop in turnover which could appear towards the end of the year. These are some of the problems that small and medium businesses suffer at a local level where the imperative, today, is to attract young people to encourage a vital generational turnover for the community, especially in hilly areas. Let’s start with the flood chapter that is still not closed.
«It is in no way a political controversy – stated Luca Morigi, president of Confartigianato Forlì -. The money is there but it is still. In order for them to become available to companies, they must submit certifications from specialized technicians. The problem is that there are few technicians, those who are there are overworked and often prefer not to accept the job because the compensation does not cover the risks. The companies that have gotten back on their feet, therefore, have resorted to their own money and often this means drawing from personal current accounts.” What worries entrepreneurs, especially those who gravitate around construction such as electricians, plumbers, to name a few, is the closure of the period of construction bonuses which could lead to a significant contraction in turnover. «We had the famous 110% until the end of the year – explains Morigi – and this led to the start of many jobs that were perhaps not urgent with a relative increase in turnover on the part of the companies. Still as Confartigianato we don’t have members who complain about a drop in income – he underlines – but we fear that in the next few months, towards October or November, there could be a decline in this sense”.
Another difficulty for small entrepreneurs is access to credit. “Often the big banks don’t provide support and it takes them up to six months to respond to entrepreneurs who instead need to know quickly whether the loan will be released or not.” For now, the companies followed by the trade association are working and there is no sector that suffers more than another even if what they all have in common is the difficulty in finding staff. «Companies that want to invest and that could also have orders abroad – continues the president of Confartigianato Forlì – cannot find human resources. We must all make more of an effort to ensure that training is provided in schools. Artisan jobs have equal dignity to others and in 4-5 years the risk is that it will be much more difficult to find a plumber, a carpenter or an electrician rather than a lawyer for example.” A generational change which, especially in areas far from urban centers such as those in the hills, would make it possible to save activities that are indispensable for the community and thus combat depopulation.
«The generational change is not happening and many companies are closing – he continues -. With the death of small businesses we lose the added value of the territory. An important effort should be made, with the involvement of local politicians of whatever color we are to reverse this trend.” The trade association has made very specific choices precisely to leave facilities even in hilly and mountain municipalities and not remove services. «We decided to keep the offices open in the mountain area precisely because, often, references such as post offices, banks or bakeries have disappeared here – says Morigi -. During the Covid period first and then the flood and earthquake, in some cases we made our offices available not only to members but to all citizens in order to offer them a point of reference in these moments of difficulty”.
