EN
Entrepreneurship is understood as economic activity conducted on a small scale and own account. The model of command economy functioning in Poland after the World War II eliminated effectively such notions as market, competition, free choice, middle class and entrepreneurship. It was only due to the transition towards the market economy, started in 1990, that during the five consecutive years the number of the very small enterprises (with up to five persons employed) increased from 636 thousand to 1,057 thousand. These economic agents, though, belong still to the weakest ones, requiring, especially at the initial stage of their activity, assistance of consulting, organizational, schooling and financial nature. The best effects are attained by means of assistance mobilized at the local level, with the use of local economic initiatives and financial resources.