Small and medium sized companies (SMEs) are facing a wave of new emerging risks that they need to take into account. These add to the conventional challenges of running a business such as expansion, business transfer, financial planning and solvency.

One of the most efficient ways to manage and mitigate risks is to reinforce overall business resilience. Accountancy Europe and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) believe that intellectual property rights (IPRs) are key to building this resilience.

This paper aims to inform small and medium sized accountants (SMPs) on the importance of IP for SMEs. They have the expertise to advise and guide their SME clients through IPR.

Our publication outlines:

• what IP is
• how accountants can help SMEs with IP access
• IP’s benefits for SMEs
• the risks of not registering IP