Factores que limitan la sostenibilidad de emprendimientos del sector comercial en Guayaquil

Abstract

This article examines the factors that hinder the viability of entrepreneurial initiatives in Guayaquil, while also recognizing that entrepreneurship is an important option for job and income creation in the city. The reason for this article is that the business failure rate faced by startups is high, especially in the first years of operation, which limits their contribution to the city's economic and social growth. The main objective is to identify the internal and external factors that affect business profitability in order to propose management strategies that increase the company's long-term viability in the market. Methodologically, the study used a mixed-methods approach, implementing a cross-sectional and non-experimental design. Data was collected through structured surveys administered to a sample of 100 business owners in Guayaquil, selected by convenience sampling using non-probability sampling, and supplemented with interviews with experts in the field of business administration. The most important findings indicate that the lack of strategic planning, problems in administrative and financial management, scarce innovation, barriers to accessing financing and competition from the informal economy are key factors in the short duration of ventures.