EN
Enterprise is undoubtedly one of the most essential factors of sustainable economic development. Therefore, a special importance must be assigned to it in rural areas which are characterized by a lower level of development than urbanized areas. On the countrywide scale, the Podlaskie Voivodeship stands out as the region of unfavourable demographic structure of the population and a more difficult income situation. These and other features result in the fact that the number of natural persons conducting business activity in rural areas in the years 2000-2005 is the lowest here. Rural 'gminas', which are characterized by smaller market, considerable dispersion of potential consumers and the lower degree of development of rural infrastructure, are especially 'poor' in terms of economic initiatives.