Resumo

RANGEL, Isabel; GRATEROL, Ángela; ALIZO, María Alexandra  e  SOCORRO, Cecilia. Financing Strategies Applied to the Baking Sector in the State of Zulia. Revista de Ciencias Sociales [online]. 2008, vol.14, n.3, pp.528-545. ISSN 1315-9518.

The purpose of this article is to determine the financing sources used by small and medium enterprises that process milled flour, because they require financial resources to achieve development of the sector. The study was descriptive, with a non-experimental design. The population consisted of forty small and medium enterprises in the baking sector of the municipality of Maracaibo registered with the association of bakeries, pastry and related shops in the State of Zulia (A.P.P.A.E.Z.). Interviews were conducted with thirteen (13) managers of the companies in the sector that represent the sample. Results indicated that the baking sector is submerged in a profound crisis due to prolonged regulation of the price of bread, the freeing of prices and the rise of prices for raw materials, which has affected liquidity levels, cash flow, working capital and the profitability of small and medium enterprises in the sector. The sources of financing used were: commercial credit, short and long-term bank loans, under unfavorable conditions, and the increase of joint capital. A proposed strategy was to offer idle equipment and machinery for rent as well as opting for new financing sources, fundamentally those promised by the National Executive in support of small and medium enterprises.

Palavras-chave : Financing sources; food sector; bakery sub-sector; small and medium enterprises.