IMPACT OF SELECTED ECONOMIC FACTORS ON THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT: THE CASE OF SELECTED EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The article aims to identify and quantify significant economic factors that determine the quality of the business environment in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the transport and services segment. The case study was carried out on a sample of 258 companies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Statistical methods, such as regression analysis and correlation analysis, were used to evaluate empirical data. These statistical methods test and verify several statistical hypotheses formulated. The results of the case study brought interesting findings. Findings showed the impact of the macroeconomic environment on the quality of the business environment. Conversely, monetary policy and interest rates, corporate finance, and population's consumption do not affect the quality of the business environment in the transport and services segment. The results also represent an essential basis for organizations supporting the business environment or for state institutions in the creation of materials for improving services or transport in the selected countries.