Importance of the Relationship Between the Independent Financial Advisor and the Small and Medium-Sized Entrepreneur

<p>The study, carried out in 2024, involved 50 participants from the SME sector from the Greater Poland voivodeship (province in Poland). Building a long-term relationship between an independent financial intermediary and an SME was primarily driven by trust and competence. The main benefits SMEs gain from working with an independent advisor are time savings and a safer arrangement of financing transactions. Long-term drivers in working with an independent financial advisor were important to SME sample, whereas short-term factors, including the cost of the advisory service itself, were relatively less important.</p>