Since early 2025, several simultaneous factors are reshuffling the cards of business growth. The entry into force of the Digital Markets Act in March 2025 changes the access conditions to major digital platforms for SMEs. Ongoing geopolitical tensions, particularly in the South China Sea, disrupt supply chains that many considered stable. And the rapid adoption of generative AI in marketing and sales functions is redefining productivity expectations.
Supply Chains and Geopolitical Tensions: A Blind Spot in Growth Strategy
Most guides on business growth address product diversification or market penetration. Few focus on the logistical fragility that can nullify these efforts in a matter of weeks.
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The tensions in the South China Sea illustrate this risk. This area accounts for a massive share of global maritime traffic. When transit times increase or insurers reassess premiums on certain routes, Western companies relying on a single supplier in Southeast Asia find themselves exposed.
For SMEs, the answer does not lie in a complete relocation of production. It involves mapping: identifying critical links, qualifying one or two alternative suppliers in distinct geographical areas, and integrating the cost of this redundancy into the business model. Specialized resources like developpement-entreprise.com help structure this thinking by intersecting business strategy and operational risk management.
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A resilient growth starts with a diversified supply chain. Building an expansion plan without auditing logistical dependencies is like constructing on ground whose nature is unknown.
Digital Markets Act and Digital Visibility of SMEs
The entry into force of the DMA in March 2025 has imposed interoperability and algorithmic transparency obligations on major platforms (marketplaces, search engines, social networks). For growing businesses, this regulatory framework creates concrete opportunities.
Platforms designated as “access controllers” must now allow third-party sellers to access their own performance data. They can no longer systematically favor their own services in search results.
What This Changes for an Online Development Strategy
Access to performance data becomes a management lever. A company selling on a major marketplace can now leverage its conversion statistics to adjust its offerings, pricing, and logistics, without relying on the platform’s goodwill.
In practice, some SMEs report effective access to this data, while others find that the technical modalities remain complex. The regulation exists, but its operational application is uneven across platforms.
- Check with each platform for the data export tools made available since March 2025
- Compare organic listing conditions before and after the application of the DMA to measure any potential visibility gain
- Document any discriminatory behavior by the platform, as the DMA provides reporting mechanisms to the European Commission
Customer Retention Amid Inflation: Rethinking Loyalty
Since 2024, customer retention rates have significantly declined. Persistent inflation is prompting buyers, both individuals and professionals, to reassess their subscriptions, contracts, and usual suppliers.
Acquiring a new customer is always more expensive than retaining an existing one. When retention declines, the acquisition cost must be offset by a higher volume of prospects, which burdens profitability.
Loyalty Programs and Personalization
The most documented response involves personalized loyalty programs. Not generic point cards, but mechanisms that adapt to individual purchasing behavior.
Generative AI plays an increasing role in this personalization. More and more companies are using generative AI for marketing automation. This translates into targeted follow-up campaigns based on customer history, contextual product recommendations, or dynamic pricing adjustments.
However, automation does not replace service quality. A customer who receives a perfectly targeted follow-up email but waits three weeks for a warranty replacement will not remain loyal. Technology optimizes the message, not the promise.
SME Growth: The Europe-Southeast Asia Gap
The contrast between the two regions is stark. SMEs in Southeast Asia are experiencing accelerated growth, driven by structured public-private partnerships. European SMEs, on the other hand, are facing relative stagnation.
This gap is partly explained by differences in institutional frameworks. In several Southeast Asian countries, government programs directly connect SMEs to export markets via state and private sector co-funded digital platforms.
In Europe, mechanisms exist (BPI in France, KfW in Germany), but their integration with digital tools remains fragmented. The problem is not the lack of resources but their dispersion.
- European SMEs that are accelerating their development are often those that combine local public aid with integrated digital management tools
- Export remains underutilized by small French structures, even though support programs have multiplied since 2024
- Training for leaders on digital management tools is a bottleneck identified by several chambers of commerce
The growth of a business in 2025-2026 cannot be reduced to a strategic matrix applied mechanically. It depends on the ability to integrate variables that traditional management manuals treat as appendices: geopolitical risk on supplies, evolving European regulations, erosion of customer loyalty under inflationary pressure. Auditing these factors with the same rigor as the business plan remains the foundation of a sustainable development strategy.