Finanse, Rynki Finansowe, Ubezpieczenia

Purpose – identify demand and supply barriers of newly established enterprises in Poland in the years 2004-2014 and to identify which of the listed difficulties are critical for their development. Design/Methodology/approach – on the basis of statistical data included in the Central Statistical Office (GUS) publication entitled: Creation and operation conditions, development prospects of Polish enterprises established in the years2004-2014, the percentage of newly created enterprises according to the difficulty of functioning was assessed. Analysis of the intensity of changes in the phenomena by means of single-base (it/o) and string indexes (i_(t⁄(t-1)))and the mean rate of change of the phenomenon (yg). Findings – research has shown that demand barriers are more of a problem for the newly established enterprises than supply barriers. Among the difficulties of a demanding nature, the most critical ones are: the existence of too much competition and the price reduction activities undertaken by it. The most important supply-side factors that constitute barriers to the functioning of the newly established enterprises include: insufficient financial resources and limited access to credit. Originality/value –indicating barriers of the companies activity is important because it gives the opportunity to take appropriate measures and adopt a strategy to improve the functioning of enterprises in the SME sector in Poland. It can, therefore, contribute to increasing the chances of survival and development.