THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN THE LOWER-SILESIA RURAL AREAS

The entrepreneurship development should be the basic direction of the progress of rural areas. The economic subjects operating in rural areas fulfill essential functions, they guarantee the additional income for the rural population, create the new places of work and reduce unemployment, activate the local population and contribute to the improvement of the life conditions. The development of the non-agricultural activities is of great importance for the population living in rural areas, and especially for those looking for additional earnings because of low farming income.The research concerning the entrepreneurship development among the rural firms' owners and local authorities' representatives were carried out in rural areas of the chosen communes of Lower Silesia. They allowed to identity the barriers and limitations of the entrepreneurship on the commune level and to evaluate the role of local authorities in the entrepreneurship fostering. The impact of entrepreneurship on the development of rural areas was assessed as well.