The study analyzes the perspectives of small business owners in the Western Zone -- understood as the cantons of San Ramon, Palmares, and Naranjo -- regarding the need for training in the area of business planning in order to gain a competitive advantage. The information was obtained from a sample of 66 small businesses, chosen for their even distribution in the three cantons, with 22 small businesses in each canton. The results present the need for business plan training along with general information about those surveyed, such as age, education level, the kind of work in which they are involved, the canton in which they are located, and the number of years the small business has been in operation.

small businesses; training; business plans; Western Zone; Costa Rica