The Silent Strength: Why Europe’s Entrepreneurs Need More Than Funding

The Silent Strength: Why Europe’s Entrepreneurs Need More Than Funding

There’s something we don’t talk about enough: the economic system is not made for small and medium-sized businesses, yet it is absolutely dependent on them.

In the EU, 99.8% of all businesses are SMEs. They employ about two-thirds of the entire workforce and contribute over half of the EU’s GDP outside the financial sector. Without small businesses, the local and national economies would simply not function. It is the freelancers, the boutique shop owners, the local consultants, the digital marketers, the yoga teachers, the accountants, and the small manufacturers that keep our communities alive.

But here’s the irony: how much real support are these businesses getting?

Let me ask you, as a small business owner:

How much support have you been receiving lately?

Financially?

Mentorship?

Access to fair funding or micro-loans?

Loans with decent interest rates that don’t require you to risk everything you’ve built?

Coaching?

A strong network of people who genuinely want to see you succeed?

Because here’s what the data says:

The Reality Behind the Numbers

Since early 2022, new SME registrations have been climbing steadily in the EU. By early 2024, there were more startups registered in a single quarter than at any time since before COVID. Even with a slight dip in Q1 2025, these numbers remain historically high.

But here’s the other side of the coin:

Bankruptcies have surged.During COVID, bankruptcies dropped sharply due to emergency support measures, but by Q3 2024 they jumped to the highest levels seen since before 2018. While they eased slightly in early 2025, they remain above pre-pandemic averages.

We’re seeing more businesses opening than ever, but we’re also seeing more closing because the systems aren’t built to hold them: mentally, financially, or structurally.

The Tax and Funding Reality

SMEs often pay a proportionally higher tax burden relative to profit than multinational corporations, who use international structures to reduce their effective tax rates. In some EU countries, tax compliance costs per employee for SMEs are up to five times higher than for large firms.

When it comes to funding and grants, yes, they exist: but accessing them is an administrative nightmare. Applications are long, complex, and often require pre-financing that micro-businesses simply don’t have. Approval rates for the smallest companies are significantly lower, with mid-sized firms capturing most of the allocations.

For loans and credit, banks still see small businesses as higher risk. SMEs often face higher interest rates, and in some countries, loan rejection rates for small businesses are five times higher than for large firms.

So, What Are We Left With?

A system that relies on SMEs to keep the economy going but offers little structural support for their long-term stability.

And yet, despite this, people keep starting businesses. Why?

Because deep down, humans want freedom, meaning, and contribution. We want to create, to innovate, to live life on our terms, to serve, to solve problems, to build legacies.

But there is something else people are looking for today: community.

We see it everywhere:

• In the entire Bitcoin ecosystem, which is built on community ethos, not just technology

• In business networking events and local entrepreneur groups

• In charity organisations, grassroots movements, and mutual aid networks

• In women’s circles, men’s circles, and parenting communities

• In local farmers markets, urban gardening collectives, homeschooling networks, and spiritual retreats

• In co-working spaces that offer not just desks, but connection

People supporting people: this is where true strength lies.

The Spiritual Turn

More and more entrepreneurs are turning towards spirituality. Why?Because spiritual practices teach resilience, rootedness, and adaptability.They remind us we are more than our businesses.They show us that success is not just about profit, but about impact, alignment, and peace.

We need support.We need community.We need to move away from being like cats, each competing for the next client, and instead support that next client together.

Building A New System

That’s why I created CEO at Heart Academy: a place for women who feel they need to break out. For those who dare to dream. For those who know that more is possible. For those who refuse to believe they are slaves to a broken system. For those who want to build a new one.

Because we’re not here just to survive.

We’re here to create, to grow, and to thrive.

Together.