ECONOMIC IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESSES IN CHILE: AN APPROACH TO THE EARLY RESULTS OF THE SERCOTEC ARICA BUSINESS CENTER

The article analyzes the early economic impact results of the Arica Small Business Development Center, a program funded by the Technical Cooperation Service. The program led by SERCOTEC has a network of 51 Business Development Centers with national deployment, whose purpose is that "entrepreneurs, micro and small companies improve their management capabilities and business performance." Considering that the operation of the program is carried out through external operators, it is appropriate to systematically evaluate and measure the results of each operator's interventions. In this context, the case study analyzes the main economic impact results of a sample of 833 companies and new ventures that received technical advice at the Arica Business Development Center, between the years 2015-2019. Statistical evidence suggests that assisted clients increase their sales and improve their business performance, generating positive tax returns that favor the program's cost-benefit ratio.