{"id":46491,"date":"2026-04-14T17:43:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T21:43:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/?p=46491"},"modified":"2026-04-14T17:47:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T21:47:24","slug":"cud-and-sagrado-present-findings-on-the-profile-of-smes-in-puerto-rico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/cud-and-sagrado-present-findings-on-the-profile-of-smes-in-puerto-rico\/","title":{"rendered":"Sagrado and CUD Present Findings on the Profile of SMEs in Puerto Rico"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The study updates sector data and highlights key challenges for business growth.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Ram\u00f3n Barqu\u00edn III, Dr. Anuchka Ramos Ruiz, Dr. Doris Morales-Rodr\u00edguez, Alan Taveras, Alfonso Lam Veloz, and Eng. Sandra Pedraza with the student investigators. (Photos by the Communications Center)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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By Institutional Communications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universidad del Sagrado Coraz\u00f3n and the Puerto Rico Retailers Association<\/a> (CUD, by its Spanish acronym) recently presented the results of the study Profile of SMEs in Puerto Rico<\/em>, a research project that examines the characteristics, challenges, and obstacles faced by small and medium-sized enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Led by Dr. Doris Morales-Rodr\u00edguez, researcher and assistant professor in the Entrepreneurship program at Sagrado, the study aimed to develop an updated profile of SMEs across Puerto Rico\u2019s business landscape. The research analyzed 141 SMEs affiliated with CUD and found that while the sector demonstrates resilience, it faces growth limitations due to economic pressures and government processes that hinder operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the main challenges identified are high energy costs, competition, government regulations, deficiencies in electrical infrastructure, and a shortage of human resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmall businesses are what feed Puerto Rico\u2019s population. Challenges related to permits, labor disruptions, access to capital, and other factors show that, although we have made progress, entrepreneurs are often vilified and face obstacles in building capital,\u201d said Dr. Ram\u00f3n Barqu\u00edn III, president of CUD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to providing updated, high-impact data for the business sector, this partnership aligns with Sagrado\u2019s 2030 Strategic Plan, which seeks to strengthen its role as a research-driven university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis research marks a milestone in our history because it represents the kind of work we aim to promote\u2014research that enhances our students\u2019 academic experience while generating knowledge with a real and positive impact on the island,\u201d said Dr. Anuchka Ramos Ruiz, provost and executive vice president of Academic and Student Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event brought together members of CUD, faculty, students, and the research team, which included co-investigator Wilmar\u00ed de Jes\u00fas \u00c1lvarez, along with students Tanysha Molina, Jammal Rivera, Germ\u00e1n Malav\u00e9, and Eliezer Bruno from the Ferr\u00e9 Rangel School of Communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The discussion panel was moderated by Dr. Dennis Rom\u00e1n Roa, dean of the School of Business, and featured leaders from both academia and the business sector: Alan Taveras, president-elect of CUD; Alfonso F. Lam Veloz, member of CUD\u2019s Board of Directors; Eng. Sandra Pedraza, dean of the School of General Education; and Dr. Doris Morales-Rodr\u00edguez. The conversation focused on the impact of the findings on Puerto Rico\u2019s business sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taveras noted that the study represents a first step toward advancing the sector\u2019s development, emphasizing education as a key driver in shaping an entrepreneurial mindset. The discussion also explored ideas to strengthen entrepreneurship education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For her part, Dean Pedraza warned that an \u201cinsular mindset\u201d remains one of the main shortcomings in business education, as it isolates entrepreneurs from the global context that affects their operations. She also stressed the need to strengthen digital skills at the university level, noting that less than 10% of surveyed companies\u2019 sales come from digital platforms, according to the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Both Pedraza and Professor Pauline Olmedo, academic leader in entrepreneurship, reaffirmed the institution\u2019s commitment to maintaining entrepreneurship courses as a core component of academic training, regardless of students\u2019 fields of study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond offering a diagnosis, the study provides recommendations to address structural challenges in the sector and reinforces the role of SMEs as a key driver of Puerto Rico\u2019s economic development. The full report is available for download in Spanish on CUD\u2019s website: Perfil de PYMES en Puerto Rico<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The study updates sector data and highlights key challenges for business growth. By Institutional Communications Universidad del Sagrado Coraz\u00f3n and the Puerto Rico Retailers Association (CUD, by its Spanish acronym) recently presented the results of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":46472,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5294,3696,3695],"tags":[5380,3731,5381,5110],"class_list":["post-46491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics-affairs","category-english-en","category-featured","tag-investigation","tag-sagrado-en","tag-smes","tag-universidad-del-sagrado-corazon-3"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46491"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46509,"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46491\/revisions\/46509"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insagrado.sagrado.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}