We give you Europe’s economic engine: small businesses

If Europe is to power its way to economic recovery, small and medium enterprises, which create two out of three private sector jobs, are likely to provide the necessary acceleration.

In recent months, we’ve been working to highlight how these same SMEs are taking advantage of the Internet to attract new customers, grow market share and go global. The euronews Business Awards competition asked SMEs to explain how they “shine online”, and attracted video entries from seven countries.

The winners – chosen by a jury and public vote – will receive their prizes at a reception at Google’s Brussels office on Thursday 29th November between 18:00 and 20:00. If you’d like to join us in raising a glass to their success, please register here.

Centercourt, from Germany, started in a bedroom and is now one of the biggest online tennis shops. MyDestination, started in the UK, now provides local insider knowledge about hundreds of destinations around the world. And Orientalmente, a Spanish language school specialised in teaching Chinese, has just started out – and is growing fast online.
In Cyprus recently, our Greek country manager Stefanos Loukakos spoke at the European Commission’s first SME Assembly. He highlighted how the Internet is helping small Greek businesses in straightened times. As a company that started only 14 years ago in a garage, we know how small companies can become big ones. “The Internet enables the SMEs of today to become the multinationals of tomorrow,” Loukakos argued in his speech. The Commission highlighted the comment as one of its top quotes of the day.