We hope you’ve got your headphones 🎧 handy, because we’ve got a new episode of BT Talks, a really good one — all about entrepreneurship. :) It features Moise Guran and Tibi Moisa, Deputy CEO, our colleague in charge of SMEs.

A few takeaways:

• Most companies in Romania are family businesses.

• "Small company, small debt" is a principle BT learned in the first crisis cycle and we haven’t deviated from it.

• As bankers, we have a stronger risk culture than most companies. We’re more likely to offer advice on "what not to do" or "what to watch out for".

• As an individual you might take 2-3 loans in your lifetime, but as an entrepreneur you take dozens.

• Often, debt levels at large companies are lower than the business could bear, because experienced entrepreneurs are more prudent.

• Is it true that loans can be granted without collateral? Yes. For example, over 98% of the loans made by BT Mic are unsecured.

• The firms most in need of support are in the mid‑market. They face challenges around scaling, access to labor, quality management and succession.

• At the macro level, we’re in a better place than 10 years ago. The banking system is financed almost exclusively by the build‑up of recent years (deposits from individuals and companies). On the ground, though, things aren’t quite as strong. Most companies were founded after the crisis.

• When we assess how ready a business is for a potential crisis, we look at how that company makes decisions day to day.

If you enjoyed this episode, you can subscribe to BT Talks on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify — we’ll be back soon with more episodes.