A relevância do plano de negócios e do planejamento estratégico na abertura e sustentabilidade dos pequenos negócios da cidade de Pedreiras-

Abstract

Small businesses are of great importance to the economy of small towns such as Pedreiras-MA, which in turn has a high rate of new small businesses opening, which reinforces the importance of efficient management practices to ensure that the local economy remains buoyant. However, it was observed that many of these entrepreneurs develop their activities without structured planning, which can compromise the sustainability of the businesses. The research was developed through a bibliographic review and application of a structured questionnaire to ten local small business owners, with the objective of identifying the level of knowledge about business plans and strategic planning, measuring the frequency of creation of business plans, identifying the challenges faced and proposing strategies that can encourage the adoption of structured planning by the local entrepreneurial community. The data collected reveal that 50% are completely unaware of the business plan, and regarding strategic planning, most entrepreneurs also demonstrated little knowledge, with the absence of a mission, vision, values and long-term goals being common. Given this scenario, the study proposes actions such as the creation of educational materials and awareness campaigns that aim to promote a culture of structured planning among small business owners in the region, which can be carried out by higher education courses in management/administration and commercial sector organizations such as Entrepreneur Room and Sebrae. It is concluded that the adoption of these tools can contribute significantly to strengthening management, reducing risks, increasing the sustainability of small businesses in Pedreiras- MA and developing the local economy