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Trade and Investment

Improving the business environment

(by Patrik Tomeš)

The agenda of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic covers a wide range of competences. Creating a favorable business environment belongs among its main responsibilities. Having been an active entrepreneur myself, before starting my tenure at the ministry as the State Secretary, the topic of business environment is a very close one.

Slovak government aims to improve business environment

(by Patrik Tomeš)

One of the main factors which foreign investors usually consider when deciding on investing in the Slovak Republic is the quality of the business environment. Recently, several measures aimed at its improvement have been adopted, but there is still room for further improvement. Will the measures proposed by the government improve the business environment?

Changes to investment projects and state aid

(by Patrik Tomeš)

This article examines what happens to state aid when investors change their investment projects during implementation. We propose legislative changes to improve legal certainty for both the investors and the state.

A man with a passion for empowering people through communication

(by Patrik Tomeš)

John K. Bates spoke at two AmCham events last year – the HR Conference in June and the ACE Best Practice Conference in October. He turned both of his presentations into captivating performances. John is a startup enthusiast with extensive experience in early stage companies, an excellent communicator who possesses the ability to pass his confidence and passion on to his audience and, above all, a charismatic character with a very strong personal presence. We had the privilege of meeting him for coffee and a short talk...

Will TTIP remove all non-tariff barriers (NTB) for SMEs?

(by Patrik Tomeš)

Representatives from both sides of the Atlantic met again for the 8th round of TTIP negotiations from 2 to 6 February 2015 in Brussels. In addition to so-called “hot” topics such as agriculture, services and public procurement, negotiators discussed issues related to the rules for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). 

From the first computer to the tablet revolution

(by Patrik Tomeš)

It all started way back before the first iPad hit the market. Only the very smartest could see in the early eighties that a computer that previously filled several rooms would one day fit into a back pocket. The question today is how to make your content available on the mobile in that pocket.  

Shared services & outsourcing model – how to make it work

(by Patrik Tomeš)

Finance roles associated with the traditional HQ will often be mirrored and/or transferred to an SSO (Shared Services Organization), although this will vary from organization to organization. Typical business areas placed in SSO operations are: accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, general ledger, corporate services and management, decision support and financial planning and analysis. 

Second generation Shared Service Centers

(by Patrik Tomeš)

Shared Service Centers (SSCs) are internal service providers which bundle competencies and provide standardized services for various business divisions within a company. The main goal of implementing shared services is to achieve a higher level of service quality at a lower cost level. This has prompted companies in various industries and different countries to move towards shared services in recent years. But leveraging their benefits in the long run requires more than just a one-off effort. Rather, it is about taking the next step to reach a higher level of evolution.

AmCham Membership Survey

(by Patrik Tomeš)

AmCham’s  Membership Survey was conducted in 2014 with the goal of identifying the strengths and challenges in the current operations of AmCham. A response rate of 40% for online and in-depth interviews assures that the collected data represents a representative evaluation of AmCham’s image and activities as perceived by its members. The following report presents an overview of the survey results.

Business Service Center Forum

(by Patrik Tomeš)

The Business Service Center (BSC) Forum is one of the most recent AmCham initiatives. Officially launched in April of last year, its main goal is to raise awareness of the BSC sector’s role in the Slovak economy and help it grow further in Slovakia.