The campaign, which is run in conjunction with European SME Week, celebrates entrepreneurs and their small businesses from all over Europe, helps us understand their motivations and struggles whilst also inspiring a new generation of European entrepreneurs and encouraging us to follow in their footsteps. The message from all entrepreneurs is that, despite its challenges (or maybe because of), entrepreneurship is a thrilling and rewarding career path.

Hear from successful entrepreneurs and SMEs in the EU and countries of the COSME programme, Europe’s programme for small and medium-sized enterprises, about what motivated them to set up their own businesses, what were the main challenges they encountered along the way, and how they overcame these challenges.

In 2022, in the spirit of the European Year of Youth, we ran a campaign celebrating young entrepreneurs: Secrets of Success 2022–2023: The 33 Under 33 List.

Download the Secrets of Success brochures from previous years:

• Secrets of success 2020 - 2021: Entrepreneurs of Europe - Building a sustainable and resilient future together 
• Secrets of Success 2018-19: Entrepreneurs of Europe - connecting, sharing and innovating'
• Secrets of Success 2016-17: Inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs
• Secret of Success 2014-15: Europe’s digital icons - transforming our economy
• Secret of Success 2012-13: European SMEs as international champions
• Secret of Success 2011: Entrepreneurship beyond start-ups - second-time entrepreneurs and transfer of business