This is evident from research among European medium-sized companies by Ricoh. The main competitors for Dutch companies come from the local (34 percent) and European market (39 percent).
Medium-sized companies in the Netherlands report relatively little competition from markets outside Europe and the US: only 12 percent of entrepreneurs cite the rest of the world market as a dangerous competitor. On average, 18 percent of medium-sized companies in Europe see the rest of the world as significant competition.
Ambitions for growth
Despite the competition, medium-sized companies in the Netherlands clearly aim for growth in the coming two years. The companies list the following top 3 in terms of growth objectives:
1. Growth of the company (29 percent)
2. Launching new products and services (26 percent)
3. Investing in new technology for transformation (26 percent)
This growth is primarily expected to be achieved through mergers and acquisitions: 73 percent of Dutch medium-sized companies believe they will merge with another company within two years. This percentage is significantly higher than the European average of 48 percent.
Dutch companies want to invest in digital technology
Research shows that 30 percent of European medium-sized companies do not yet use digital technology to grow their business.
At the same time, the European mid-market sees great opportunities for their business in investing in digital technology. A quarter of European mid-sized companies believe they can make the transition to a more 'mobile business' with this. Among Dutch entrepreneurs, this percentage is even at 67 percent.
High time
Mark Boelhouwer, CEO of Ricoh Netherlands. 'To realize their ambitions, medium-sized companies should focus on further digitization, such as digital invoicing, more efficient invoicing and payment processes, or digitizing other work processes to support growth. It is high time for medium-sized companies to prioritize innovation and ensure flexible enterprises with streamlined processes. This way, they can continue to grow and increase their revenue and profits.'
Download the research report here and read more at www.werktrends.nl/tag/middelste-kind-syndroom
