The actual global scenery places the Brazilian small business under the pressure of new competitive forces. The big challenge for their managers is to determine the market's sensibility, the innovation and the technology of the product, as well as their adaptation to new management models. This paper results from a research that approaches the various aspects of managerial competence in small businesses, and the objective general is analyze managerial competencies considered essential in view of managers of small clothing companies in the city of Vila Velha/ES. The analysis was conducted through exploratory-descriptive research and the design used was the survey. A questionnaire was applied to open and closed questions to 48 entrepreneurs of Small Companies in the City of Vila Velha/ES. The managers interviewed revealed greater emphasis to technical and conceptual skills, because they value the knowledge of the business and its environment, beyond the identification of both the competitive advantage of opportunities, both relevant in the conduct of their businesses.
Small company; Competitiveness; Managerial competence; Development of managerial competence; Managerial competence in small companies
