NextUp: Q1, a pause in the business environment. Companies temper their investments, but the prolonged wait becomes a trap

The first quarter of 2025 was characterized by waiting in the Romanian business environment. Many entrepreneurs and managers continue to pull the handbrake and prefer to wait to see what happens with the elections, taxes, and the market in general.

Although the number of SMEs investing in digitalization and process automation for more predictability in business is increasing, a large part of companies are tempering their investment and development plans. However, prolonged waiting can become a trap, with a much higher cost for business growth, warns NextUp, a software company that implements tax changes.

“2025 has started strong, but not necessarily in a good way. In a year with a busy electoral calendar and a rather turbulent international context, a brake is being put on the Romanian business environment. Many entrepreneurs and managers are pulling the handbrake and prefer to wait: to see what happens with the elections, with taxes, and with the market in general. However, business does not grow, and it suffers when the handbrake is pulled. It is precisely in such moments, when the future seems a bit foggy, that companies need visibility. And visibility in business comes from data, through digitalization, and from the ability to make quick and informed decisions. Prolonged waiting can cost more than it seems,” says Roxana Epure, Managing Partner NextUp.

In an economic context marked by uncertainties and accelerated changes, companies that want to maintain a healthy growth rate have invested in digitalization and process automation for greater predictability in business. In this regard, NextUp recorded a 100% increase in demand for new customers who purchased business software, such as ERP, in the period January-March 2025 compared to the same period last year. This shows that some Romanian entrepreneurs have understood that technology can be a reliable partner for them. The trend is the expansion of the digitalization process in the Romanian business environment. Still, the first quarter was marked by waiting, a state that will continue at least after the presidential elections.

Entrepreneurs expect new taxes or tax changes
However, many companies are tempering their investment and development plans, especially in the context of 2025 coming with political elections. Thus, with the elections, the business environment expects fiscal and economic changes.

“The expectations are clear: VAT could change, new taxes or changes to the Tax Code may appear. In such a climate, making a 12-month budget becomes just an exercise in imagination. But this is precisely where the need for digitalization comes in. When things are unstable, entrepreneurs need tools that help them see clearly what is happening in their company: which products are being sold, what is selling, what is not selling, where the money is going, which campaigns are performing, and where you are losing. Many still view digitalization as a complicated, expensive, and difficult-to-implement project. The reality is that you can start simply: with a well-designed dashboard, an automated reporting system, and an application that helps you with inventory or invoices. These are small steps that can have a big impact.

“Decisions can no longer be made by ear or instinct alone. The market moves quickly, customers change their minds, and costs increase. Without a clear, data-driven vision, business becomes reactive – and that means you will always be one step behind,” points out Roxana Epure, Managing Partner NextUp.

Companies that prioritize digitalization, even in small steps, will be the ones that will survive and grow, regardless of what changes elections or governments bring. They will be able to adapt budgets based on real numbers, understand market trends faster, and make strategic, not just tactical, decisions. Companies that choose to automate processes – from invoicing, and inventory management, to financial reporting – manage to save valuable time, reduce human errors, and increase operational efficiency. At the same time, digitalization allows for better control of budgets and an increased ability to adapt to fiscal or contextual changes.

“It is normal to wonder what will happen in Romania after the elections. But it is not healthy to get stuck in waiting. Waiting seems like a safe choice, but in reality it can become a trap. Those who dare to act now – to invest in digitalization, to understand data, to optimize processes – will be the ones who will have a clear advantage in the months and years to come. The future does not belong to those who wait, but to those who move, even when the road seems uncertain,” adds Roxana Epure.

Every company, regardless of size, can take a step forward. You don’t need a corporate budget to have accurate data and clear forecasts about what’s happening in the business.

NextUp is the developer of ERP software that saves entrepreneurs time with bureaucracy, such as e-Invoice. NextUp software is adapted to local businesses and is used primarily in online retail, traditional retail, manufacturing, distribution, construction, and services, to automate repetitive, resource-consuming activities and optimize business processes and forecasts. NextUp has over 6,000 customers, with an average of 5 users per company.