EN
The article presents the results of survey under enterprises located on central streets of Szczecin. Most of these fi rms are of very little employment – 1 to 3 employees; there are very few with employment over 9 workers. More then half are aged less then 10 years, but every third of total continues their activity more then 10 years – it must be considered as a signifi cant taking into account the rate of changes on markets. Enterprises employing few workers, concentrated on local markets are little innovative and are not willingly to make investments. Simultaneously they are limited by the space inherited from late 19th and early 20th centuries. It did not change considerably over the years. Commerce and services are the only ways to develop activity. New kinds of activity are nevertheless developing, specially fi nancial and medical services. The local character of microenterprises is underlined by local resources of recruiting new employees. They are usually backed up by recommendations given by local circles which guarantee the quality of employees. The institutions like Labor Offi ces of Employment Agencies are almost excluded from the process.