Abstract

ZAMBRANO MIRANDA, Mario de Jesús et al. INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MICROBUSINESSES IN COLOMBIA: EVIDENCE TAKEN FROM CUCUTA AND ITS METROPOLITAN AREA. Semest. Econ. [online]. 2025, vol.28, n.65, a5054.  Epub Oct 27, 2025. ISSN 0120-6346.  https://doi.org/10.22395/seec.v28n65a5054.

This article analyzes the factors associated with business informality in microbusinesses in San José de Cucuta and its Metropolitan Area from 2019-2021. A quantitative approach is used based on data from DANE's Microbusiness Survey (Emicron). Econometric probit models are applied to evaluate the probability of belonging to different degrees of informality. The study considers dimensions such as owners' sociodemographic characteristics, type of business creation, and motivations for entre-preneurship. Results reveal a high prevalence of informality, especially among businesses created by family members, without business registration or formal accounting. Being a woman and having a physical location reduces the likelihood of operating informally, while entrepreneurship by opportunity or exercising a trade increases the likelihood of formalization. This analysis suggests that informality is a structural phenomenon influenced by institutional economic cultural barriers. It concludes that public policies should focus on reducing bureaucracy, facilitating access to credit, and offering financial education, in addition to promoting specific incentives for women entrepreneurs and businesses with potential for sustainability. These findings are relevant for the design of formalization strategies in border contexts with high informality.

Keywords : Business informality; microbusinesses; tax burden; access to credit; formalization.

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