Entrepreneurship is an essential attribute of a market economy, the main distinguishing feature which is free competition. It is a specific factor of production, firstly, because, unlike capital and land, it is intangible. Secondly, we cannot interpret profit as a kind of equilibrium price by analogy with the labor market, capital and land.

The modern understanding of entrepreneurship was formed during the formation and development of capitalism, which chose free enterprise as the basis and source of its prosperity.

The views of the classics were one of the starting points of the Marxist concept of entrepreneurship. K. Marx saw in the entrepreneur only a capitalist who invests his capital in his own enterprise, and in entrepreneurship - an exploitative essence. Only much later, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. economists have recognized it as crucial to economic progress. A. Marshall added to the three classical factors of production - labor, land, capital - the fourth - organization, and J. Schumpeter gave this factor its modern name - entrepreneurship, and defined the main functions of entrepreneurship:

creation of a new material good, not yet familiar to the consumer, or a former good, but with new qualities;

the introduction of a new method of production that has not yet been used in this industry;

the conquest of a new market or the wider use of the former;

the use of a new type of raw material or semi-finished products;

the introduction of a new organization of business, for example, a monopoly position or, conversely, overcoming a monopoly.

To characterize entrepreneurship as an economic category, the central problem is the establishment of its subjects and objects. Subjects entrepreneurship may be, first of all, private individuals (organizers of sole, family, as well as larger productions). The activities of such entrepreneurs are carried out on the basis of both their own labor and hired. Entrepreneurial activity can also be carried out by a group of persons linked by contractual relations and economic interests. The subjects of collective entrepreneurship are joint-stock companies, rental teams, cooperatives, etc. In some cases, the state represented by its relevant bodies is also referred to as business entities. Thus, in a market economy, there are three forms of entrepreneurial activity: state, collective, private, each of which finds its own niche in the economic system.

Entrepreneurship object is the most efficient combination of factors of production to maximize income. “Entrepreneurs combine resources to produce a new good unknown to consumers; discovery of new production methods (technologies) and commercial use of existing goods; development of a new sales market and a new source of raw materials; reorganization in the industry with the aim of creating one's own monopoly or undermining someone else's,” 1 J. Schumpeter said.

For entrepreneurship as a method of managing the economy, the first and main condition is independence and independence of business entities, the presence of a certain set of freedoms and rights for them to choose the type entrepreneurial activity, sources of financing, the formation of a production program, access to resources, marketing of products, setting prices for them, managing profits, etc.

The second condition for entrepreneurship is responsibility for decisions, their consequences and associated risks. Risk is always associated with uncertainty and unpredictability. Even the most careful calculation and forecast cannot eliminate the unpredictability factor; it is a constant companion of entrepreneurial activity.

The third condition for an entrepreneur is commercial success orientation, the desire to increase profits.

But the entrepreneurial factor is rewarded not only from normal profit, which is included in economic costs, but also from a possible excess of income that exceeds explicit and implicit costs, i.e. from economic profit. These surpluses are formed as follows. Market structures are characterized by a certain imperfection of competition: lack of information, concentration of production in the hands of a few firms, release of new, previously unknown products - in a word, the economy is in a state of continuous development, dynamic transformation, which gives it a certain uncertainty. Basically, this state of the economic system is due to the actions of entrepreneurs who are looking for their niches in the market and using them to their advantage. This leads to a disruption of the existing market equilibrium, and for some period some entrepreneurs find themselves in a more advantageous position than others, their competitors, and seek to realize this benefit for their own benefit. But this benefit is far from obvious, not obvious in advance. An entrepreneur always takes a risk when he decides to start a new business, to carry out some innovations, to buy someone's securities, to put his products on an unknown market, etc. This creates a state of uncertainty in which one has to look for right decisions etc.

But entrepreneurship is not always associated with making a profit; losses are also possible. The threat of losses and bankruptcy also serves as a powerful incentive for efficient management, as well as making a profit.

Entrepreneurial ability as a factor of production is one of the economic resources, which consists of entrepreneurs and the country's entrepreneurial infrastructure (institutions, laws, regulations, etc.). It is the organizing factor of production that makes it possible to rationally combine the other three factors of production to create goods and services. It differs from such a factor of production as labor (L) in that the decisions made by the entrepreneur are of great importance in realizing the goal (far-reaching consequences). The entrepreneur bears for them liability. He is not just a performer.
The term "entrepreneurship" is found in the General Dictionary of Commerce, published in Paris in 1723. It was used in the 18th century. English economist Cantillon. He noted that an entrepreneur is a person with uncertain, non-fixed income, for example, a peasant, an artisan, a merchant, and even a robber, a beggar, etc. He buys goods at one price and sells them at another. At the same time, he risks, because the sale price that he assumed may not be such. The entrepreneur performs an important function: by saturating the market with goods, he brings supply and demand into line.
In modern economic literature, entrepreneurship is considered in three aspects (from three points of view): how economic category as a method of management and as a type of economic thinking.

1. Entrepreneurship as an economic category is a system of relations between entrepreneurs in their economic activity which take place in a competitive environment and are aimed at finding new ways to combine factors of production in order to generate income and increase property. Everyone strives to gain and maintain competitive advantages.
2. Entrepreneurship as a method of managing the economy is characterized by such features as autonomy and economic independence, commercial risk, responsibility for decisions made, including risk, orientation towards success, creativity (innovation), initiative.

Forms of entrepreneurship as a way of doing business: private (small-scale and capitalist), collective ( joint-stock companies), state.
Functions of entrepreneurship: 1) transformations in the economy aimed at increasing its efficiency, at establishing market equilibrium; 2) adaptation to the economic environment, i.e., the desire to ensure maximum output at minimum cost and increase assets; 3) contributing to the growth of the welfare of the population, the democratization of management, etc.
Entrepreneurship is motivated by material interest expressed in the form of income. The peculiarity of the nature of this income is that it is the result of a better use of resources, a better combination of factors of production. Therefore, income from property, as well as rent, rent, interest on capital, wages, cannot be considered as income from entrepreneurship. This income is business profit.

1. Entrepreneurship as a special type of economic thinking is a set of original views and approaches to decision-making that are implemented in economic life. The main role, in this case, is played by the personality of the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is not only an occupation, but also a mindset, a property of nature. To be an entrepreneur, you need to have a special imagination, a gift of foresight, a talent that no more than 5-10% of the working population is endowed with.

We can highlight the most important personal qualities of a successful entrepreneur:

• search for opportunities and initiative (changes the intended course of action in order to achieve the goal);
• willingness to take risks (prefers a situation of moderation of risk, takes actions to reduce the risk or control the results);
• focus on efficiency and quality (find ways to improve quality and reduce costs);
• involvement in work contacts (takes full responsibility and makes personal sacrifices for the performance of work, takes up the matter together with employees or instead of them);
• purposefulness (clearly expresses goals, has a long-term vision);
• the desire to be informed (personally collects information about customers, suppliers, competitors);
• systematic planning and monitoring economic indicators and uses them to make decisions).
• ability to persuade and establish business and personal connections;
• independence and self-confidence (strives for independence from the rules and control of other people, believes in his ability to perform difficult tasks).

The phenomenon of entrepreneurship is an integral element of the market economy. In economic theory, the concept of "entrepreneur" appeared in the XVIII century. and often associated with the concept of "owner". At its origins was the English economist R. Cantillon, who first introduced the term "entrepreneur" into economic theory.

An entrepreneur is a person with uncertain, non-fixed income (a peasant, an artisan, a merchant, a beggar, etc.). He buys other people's goods at the same price, and will sell at a price unknown to him yet. It follows that risk is the main distinguishing feature of the entrepreneur, and his main economic function is to bring the supply in line with the demand for various commodity markets. A. Smith also characterized the entrepreneur as a person who takes economic risks in order to implement his commercial ideas in order to make a profit. He himself plans and organizes production, disposes of its results.

The French economist J. B. Say described in some detail the specific properties of the entrepreneur and the nature of his income, part of which is a payment for his rare entrepreneurial abilities.

major contribution the German economist W. Sombart and the Austrian economist J. Schumpeter contributed to the development of the theory of entrepreneurship. According to Sombart, an entrepreneur is a "conqueror" (willingness to take risks, spiritual freedom, wealth of ideas, will and perseverance), an "organizer" (the ability to connect many people to work together) and a "merchant" (the ability to convince people to buy goods, arouse their interest to gain trust). Describing the goals of an entrepreneur, Sombart highlights the desire for prosperity and growth of his business as the main among them, and the growth of profits as a subordinate, since prosperity is impossible without it.

J. Schumpeter calls an entrepreneur a person who undertakes the implementation of new combinations of factors of production and thereby ensures economic development. At the same time, Schumpeter believed that an entrepreneur is not necessarily the owner of production, an individual capitalist - he can also be the manager of a bank or a joint-stock company.

The association in one person of the owner and the entrepreneur began to collapse just in the period of the appearance of credit

The separation of entrepreneurship from ownership is especially evident in joint-stock companies. In the conditions of a joint-stock, corporate economy, property as a legal fact loses its administrative functions. Power in production moves from the owner to the organizer. Instead of real physical objects, with which the notion of property has traditionally been associated, the shareholder owns only a piece of paper, the title of ownership. Over the entrepreneurs themselves, he, the owner of the shares, has a very conditional control. However, the shareholder is not responsible for the performance of the joint stock company. This is the responsibility of managers.

Thus, the development credit relations and the transition of national wealth from the form of individual private property to the form of corporate ownership entails the separation of ownership from disposal - entrepreneurship.

So, entrepreneurship is basically not a function of only the owner, it can be attended by persons who are not directly owners.

What is entrepreneurship in terms of economic certainty? In the scientific literature, it is proposed to consider entrepreneurship in three aspects:

1) as an economic concept;

2) as a method of managing;

3) as a type of economic thinking.

To characterize entrepreneurship as economic concept the central problem is the establishment of its subjects and objects. The subjects of entrepreneurship can be, first of all, private individuals (organizers of a sole proprietorship, family, as well as more large-scale production). The activities of such entrepreneurs are carried out both on the basis of their own labor and with the involvement of hired workers. Entrepreneurial activity can also be carried out by a group of persons linked by contractual relations and economic interests. The subjects of collective entrepreneurship are: 1) joint-stock companies; 2) rental collectives; 3) cooperatives, etc. In some cases, business entities also include the state represented by its relevant bodies. In a market economy, there are three forms of entrepreneurial activity:

1) state;

2) collective;

3) private, each of which finds its "niche" in the economic system.

The object of entrepreneurship is the implementation of the most efficient combination of factors of production in order to maximize. All sorts of new ways of combining production resources are the main business of the entrepreneur and distinguish him from the ordinary business executive. Entrepreneurs combine resources in order to produce a new good unknown to consumers; discovery of new production methods (technologies) and commercial use of existing goods; development of a new market; development of a new source of raw materials; carrying out reorganization in the industry to create their own monopoly or undermine someone else's.

The main condition for entrepreneurship as a method of managing the economy is the autonomy and independence of economic entities, i.e. they have a certain set of freedoms and rights - at the choice of the type of entrepreneurial activity; on the formation of the production program; on the choice of funding sources; access to resources; for the sale of products; setting prices for it; profit management, etc.

The independence of the entrepreneur should be understood in the sense that there is no governing body over him, indicating what to produce, how much to spend, to whom and at what price to sell, etc. But the entrepreneur is always dependent on the market, on the dynamics of supply and demand, on the level, i.e. from the existing system of commodity-money relations.

The second condition for entrepreneurship is responsibility for the decisions made, their consequences and the risk associated with it. Risk is always associated with uncertainty and unpredictability. Even the most careful calculation and forecast cannot eliminate the factor of unpredictability in entrepreneurial activity.

The third sign of entrepreneurship is the focus on achieving commercial success, the desire to increase profits. But this goal is not the only one modern business. The activities of many business structures go beyond purely economic tasks, they take part in solving social problems of society, donate their funds to the development of culture, education, health, environmental protection, etc.

Describing entrepreneurship as a special type of economic thinking, it should be noted that the personality of the entrepreneur plays a central role in entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurship is not an occupation, but a mindset and a property of nature. To be an entrepreneur is not to do what others do; you need to have a special gift of imagination; the gift of foresight; constantly resist the pressure of routine. You have to be able to find something new and use its possibilities. You need to be able to take risks, overcome and act not depending on the ongoing processes, but to determine these processes yourself.

An entrepreneur in his activity is driven by the will to win, the desire to fight, the special creative nature of his work, the possibility of earning income.

As for the intellect of an entrepreneur, it must be selective, i.e. is aimed at a narrow range of phenomena that the entrepreneur studies thoroughly.

In general, entrepreneurship should include elements of economic art, economic and organizational creativity, free manifestation of initiative, innovation, readiness for risk, etc. for the sake of making a profit. And this is quite natural, since the management and organization of production in the conditions of the revival of a market, competitive economy, individual inclinations, skill, and estimate play a crucial role.

Job data

Theoretical part - option No. 21 (Entrepreneurship as a factor of production in modern conditions)

Introduction…………………………………………………………………..........4

1 Entrepreneurship as a factor of production in modern
conditions.…………………………………………………………………………

1.1 The concept of entrepreneurship…………………………………………..6

1.2 The history of the emergence of entrepreneurship. Its origins……………..7

1.3 Functions of entrepreneurship…………………………………………….9

1.4 The purpose of entrepreneurship……………………………………………...9

1.5 Forms and types of entrepreneurship…………………………………..11

1.6 Entrepreneurship today……………………………………..13

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..15

List of used sources………………………………………...16

Introduction

Currently, Russia is at a turning point in its development.

The fate of the ongoing reforms is called into question, the answers to which largely depend on the state and trends in the development of entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship today is becoming a significant factor in further socio-economic development.

Entrepreneurship is an integral element of the modern market economic system, without which the economy and society as a whole cannot exist and develop normally.

Independent entrepreneurs represent the most numerous layer of private owners and, due to their mass nature, play a significant role not only in the socio-economic, but also in the political life of the country.

Entrepreneurship ensures the strengthening of market relations based on democracy and private property. In my own way economic situation and living conditions, private entrepreneurs are close to the majority of the population and form the basis of the middle class, which is the guarantor of the social and political stability of society.

The Constitution of Russia determines that every citizen has the right to free use of his abilities and property for entrepreneurial and other purposes not prohibited by law. economic activity. The rights and freedoms of man and citizen, and hence the right of free entrepreneurial activity, are exercised throughout Russia and apply to every citizen of the country. All state authorities are obliged to ensure and protect in their activities the rights of entrepreneurs and freedom of entrepreneurship, and their opposition should be considered as a violation of the Constitution of Russia. The state recognizes and protects equally private, state, municipal and other forms of ownership.

The work should cover the following topics:

1. Entrepreneurship

2. The concept of entrepreneurship

3. The history of the emergence of entrepreneurship. Its origins

4. Functions of entrepreneurship

5. Purpose of entrepreneurship

6. Forms and types of entrepreneurship

7. Entrepreneurship today

Based on the foregoing, draw a conclusion about what constitutes entrepreneurship as a factor of production in modern conditions.

1. Entrepreneurship as a factor of production in modern
conditions.

1.1 The concept of entrepreneurship

The concept of "entrepreneurship" should not be identified with the concept of "business", which is more capacious and provides for any type of activity that generates income or personal benefit.

It is noted that entrepreneurship is an independent, proactive, at one's own risk activity regarding the production of products, the performance of work, the provision of services and trade for profit.

The main principles behind which entrepreneurship is carried out are:

1) free choice of activities on a voluntary basis;

2) attracting property and funds to entrepreneurial activity legal entities and citizens;

3) independent formation of a program of activities, selection of suppliers and consumers of manufactured products, setting prices in accordance with production costs in compliance with applicable law;

4) free employment of workers;

5) attraction and use of material and technical, financial, labor, natural and other resources, the use of which is not prohibited or limited by law;

6) free distribution of profit that remains after making payments established by law;

7) independent implementation by an entrepreneur (legal entity) of foreign economic activity;

8) the use by any entrepreneur of the share of foreign exchange earnings due to him at his own discretion.

And here is how the concept of "entrepreneurship" is interpreted in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of an Entrepreneur:

“Entrepreneurship is an initiative independent activity of citizens aimed at making a profit or personal income, carried out on their own behalf, under their own property responsibility or on behalf and under the legal responsibility of a legal entity. An entrepreneur may carry out any type of economic activity not prohibited by law, including commercial mediation, trade-purchase, consulting and other activities, as well as operations with securities.

Entrepreneurship is one of the important factors of social and economic progress. Therefore, society is interested in civilized entrepreneurship, which should have legal support in the following basic forms:

1) granting freedom of entrepreneurial activity;

2) granting the entrepreneur the status of a merchant;

3) creation of conditions for opening and registering an enterprise.

When choosing a form of entrepreneurship, they take into account the scale of activity, the form of responsibility of the entrepreneur, the possibility of obtaining loans, equal taxation, the possible volume of sales of products, etc. The main subjects of entrepreneurship are individuals, groups of persons (in joint-stock companies, cooperatives) and the state (relevant authorities) .

1. 2 The history of the emergence of entrepreneurship. Its origins

The history of entrepreneurship begins in the Middle Ages. Already at that time, merchants, merchants, artisans, missionaries were beginning entrepreneurs. With the advent of capitalism, the desire for wealth leads to the desire for unlimited profits. The actions of entrepreneurs take on a specialized character, acquiring a civilized framework. Often an entrepreneur, being an owner, also works in his own factory, in his own plant.

From the middle of the XVI century. share capital appears, joint-stock companies are organized. The first joint-stock companies arose in the field international trade. The very first founded English trade company(1554). Later, in 1600, the East India Trading Company was formed, in 1602 the Dutch Company, and in 1670 the Hudson's Bay Company. In the future, the joint-stock form of management penetrates into other sectors of the economy.

At the end of the XVII century. the first joint-stock banks appear. So, in 1694, the Bank of England was founded on a joint-stock basis, in 1695 - the Bank of Scotland. At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries the joint-stock form of the organization of banking is widely developed in many countries. During this period, the property of previously existing large family firms breaks up into hundreds, thousands of shares of depositors-owners of shares. The gap between the small and big business. In such conditions, it becomes more and more difficult for small firms to survive, they are unable to innovate, but medium and large enterprises are widely developed. large firms. The motive for maximizing profit sounds louder and louder. During this period, a new profession appears - manager-leader and organizer of large-scale production. Entrepreneurial functions, previously concentrated in one person, are divided into specialized areas. There are financiers, economists, accountants, lawyers, designers, technologists. Above all of them, as it were, rises the manager, freed from many functions and focused on the management and organization of production.

Entrepreneurship has existed in Russia since ancient times. It originated in Kievan Rus in the form of trade and in the form of crafts. Small merchants and merchants can be considered the first entrepreneurs in Russia. The greatest development of entrepreneurship refers to the years of the reign of Peter I (1689-1725). Manufactories are being created all over Russia, and such branches of industry as mining, weapons, cloth, and linen are widely developed. A prominent representative of the dynasty of industrial entrepreneurs at that time was the Demidov family, whose ancestor was a Tula blacksmith.

The further development of entrepreneurship was held back by the existence of serfdom. The reform of 1861 became a serious stimulus for the development of entrepreneurship. The construction of railways begins, heavy industry is reorganized, joint-stock activities are revived. Foreign capital contributes to the development and reorganization of industry. In the 90s of the XIX century. in Russia, the industrial base of entrepreneurship is finally taking shape. At the beginning of the XX century. entrepreneurship is becoming a mass phenomenon in Russia, the entrepreneur is formed as an owner, although the influence of foreign capital and the state remains significant.

1.3 Functions of entrepreneurship

In modern conditions, entrepreneurship performs three main functions:

1) resource (mobilization of material factors, human resources and monetary savings);

2) organizational (ensuring a rational combination of factors of production, determining a strategy for profit growth and property multiplication);

3) creative, innovative (constant search and development of new markets, new technologies and goods, which is of particular importance in the conditions of modern scientific and technological revolution and the development of non-price competition).

1.4 Purpose of entrepreneurship

An important goal of any enterprise in a market environment is to provide

stable financial stability in his work. Businesses can

achieve this goal only if in their work they will

adhere to certain principles and perform the necessary functions.

The German economist G. Schmalen identified the following "cornerstones"

enterprise management - profitability, financial stability and profit.

The principle of economy requires that:

1) a certain result at the lowest cost - the principle of minimization;

2) for a given amount of costs, the greatest result is the principle of maximization.

At its core, the principle of economy imposes a common requirement inherent in all enterprises - not to waste factors of production(resources), i.e. work economically.

The principle of financial stability means such activity of the enterprise in which it could at any time pay off its debts, either with its own, or by deferral, or by obtaining a loan.

The highest goal of entrepreneurial activity is the excess of results over costs, i.e. achieving the greatest possible profit or the greatest possible profitability. The ideal position is one where maximizing profits also results in higher profitability.

To achieve this goal, enterprises must:

1) rational use of production resources, taking into account their

interchangeability;

2) produce high-quality products, systematically update them,

provide services in accordance with demand and available production capabilities;

3) ensure the competitiveness of the enterprise and products,

maintain a high image of the enterprise;

4) systematically introduce everything new and advanced into production, into the organization

labor and management;

5) develop a strategy and tactics for the behavior of the enterprise and adjust

them according to changing circumstances;

6) take care of their employees, the growth of their qualifications and greater

favorable socio-psychological climate in the workforce;

7) pursue a flexible pricing policy and perform other functions.

At the same time, it is very important that all functions of the enterprise be directed to

implementation of the developed strategy and achievement of the set goal.

The development of a successful strategy begins with the definition of the mission of the company and the overall goal of the functioning of the team. At the same time, the goals of the enterprise may change, it all depends on the specific circumstances.

For example, the main goal of the enterprise at a certain stage may be

not obtaining the maximum profit, but the conquest of the market. In this case

maximizing profits is relegated to the background, but in the future, in

If the market is conquered, the enterprise can more than compensate for lost profits.

1.5 Forms and types of entrepreneurship

The whole variety of entrepreneurial activity can be classified according to various criteria: type of activity, forms of ownership, number of owners, organizational-legal and organizational-economic forms, the degree of use of hired labor, etc. Let's consider some of them.

By type or purpose, entrepreneurial activity can be divided into production, commercial, financial, advisory, etc. All these types can function separately or together.

According to the forms of ownership, the property of an enterprise can be private, state, municipal, and also be owned by public associations (organizations). At the same time, the state cannot establish in any form restrictions or advantages in the exercise of property rights, depending on the location of property in private, state, municipal property or the property of public associations (organizations).

According to the number of owners, entrepreneurial activity can be individual and collective. At individual entrepreneurship property belongs to one to an individual. Collective property is property owned simultaneously by several entities with the determination of the shares of each of them (shared ownership) or without determining the shares (joint ownership). Possession, use and disposal of property in collective ownership shall be carried out by agreement of all owners.

Forms of entrepreneurship, in turn, can be divided into organizational-legal and organizational-economic. Among the organizational and legal forms are partnerships, societies, cooperatives.

A partnership is an association of persons created to carry out entrepreneurial activities. Partnerships are created when two or more partners decide to participate in the organization of an enterprise. An important advantage of the partnership is the possibility of attracting additional capital. In addition, the presence of several owners allows for specialization within the enterprise based on the knowledge and skills of each of the partners. The disadvantages of this organizational and legal form of entrepreneurial activity: each of the participants bears equal financial responsibility, regardless of the size of his contribution. In addition, the actions of one of the partners are binding on all the others, even if they do not agree with these actions.

Partnership participants are divided into two groups: general partners (partnership with unlimited liability) and limited partners (partnership with limited liability). In limited partnerships, some of the partners may have unlimited liability, while others may have limited liability.

Companies are created by agreement of at least two citizens or legal entities by pooling their contributions (both in cash and in kind) in order to carry out economic activities. Members of a limited liability company are not liable for its obligations. They are liable only to the extent of the value of their contributions. In contrast, members of society with additional responsibility are liable with all their property.

1.6 Entrepreneurship today

Statistics show that entrepreneurship has become a prominent phenomenon in the Russian economy. The number of small enterprises in Russia at the beginning of 2007 exceeded one million, having increased by five and a half percent over the year. The Kommersant newspaper writes about this with reference to the report of the National Institute for the Systematic Study of Entrepreneurship Problems (NISIPP). Researchers note an uneven growth in the number of small businesses across regions. So, if in the North-Western Federal District 1183 small enterprises were registered per one hundred thousand people, then in the Southern Federal District - only 490. The average increase in the number of small enterprises in Russia as a whole in 2006 amounted to about 37 new organizations per one hundred thousand inhabitants. The most noticeable growth was registered in the Far Eastern Federal District - 97, and in the North-Western District, the leader in the number of small enterprises per capita, a decrease was noted. According to the Ministry of Economic Development, the contribution of small businesses to the Russian economy is 15-17 percent of GDP. As the former head of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade German Gref reported, from 2001 to 2004 the share of small businesses in the country's gross domestic product doubled. However, compared with Western countries, this figure in Russia is lower by 3-3.5 percent.

Elected President Russian Federation Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev emphasizes: “The policy of the state should be aimed at sustainable growth in the proportion of citizens who can be attributed to the middle class. We can achieve this only through the activation of entrepreneurship, the creation of appropriate conditions for it.”

Conclusion

So, entrepreneurship is the core of any socio-economic system based on the principles of private property and competition. The entrepreneur is the central figure in civil and trade turnover, he is the main protagonist of the market, the guarantor of the stability of civil society. The entrepreneur not only organizes the production of goods, but also takes a direct part in this process; further, it organizes the entire movement of masses of commodities and brings them through the medium of the market to end user, thus linking the economic life of society into a single whole. Along with the production of goods, it provides a wide variety of services to citizens, sets in motion financial and stock markets, mobilizes the intellectual potential of society for the development of science and the creation of new technologies, thereby creating the prerequisites for accelerating scientific and technological progress. In addition, by paying the bulk of taxes to the state, he essentially supports the state and finances its main expenses. This means that it is entrepreneurial activity that allows the state to provide its citizens with a guaranteed material and educational level, appropriate medical care, and the payment of pensions and benefits. It is obvious that the more actively this activity takes place, the less the energy and enterprise of the entrepreneur is bound and limited by various artificial measures, the more opportunities for the manifestation of free initiative are provided to him by legal norms, legislation, the higher the standard of living and social security of citizens. Thus, entrepreneurship, undoubtedly occupies a central place in modern society. After all, it is the entrepreneur who is the support and guarantor of stability and sustainable development both the state and civil society; both economic and political life of its citizens.

List of sources used

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Introduction

The relevance of the research topic is due to the fact that entrepreneurship is one of the most important components of the modern economy. In the market economy countries, entrepreneurship has become widespread and constitutes the vast majority of all forms of organizations.

The main part of Belarusian entrepreneurship is small and medium business. The main task of the entrepreneur is to manage the enterprise, which includes the rational use of resources, the organization of the process on an innovative basis and economic risk, as well as responsibility for the final results of their activities.

The transition to a market economy is a transition to an entrepreneurial economy. Creation of conditions for the development of entrepreneurship is the most important component of transformational changes in the transitional economy. In this regard, the identification of the essential features and patterns of entrepreneurship development is extremely important. This determines the relevance of the topic term paper.

The purpose of the work is to reveal the concept of entrepreneurship, its role and functions in the national economy, as well as the features and prospects for development in the Republic of Belarus.

In accordance with the purpose of the work, the following tasks are put forward:

1) reveal the concept, content, main features of entrepreneurship, risk, uncertainty in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial income;

2) to analyze the business environment in the Republic of Belarus;

3) to propose ways for the development of entrepreneurship in the transformational economy of the Republic of Belarus.

The object of research is the national economy of the Republic of Belarus.

The subject of the course work is the concept of entrepreneurship as a factor of production.

Research methods: comparative analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, description, historical, logical.

The research topic has been sufficiently developed both by Belarusian and foreign scientists. The most complete concept of entrepreneurship, as well as its role and features in the Republic of Belarus, was disclosed by N. I. Bazylev, M. N. Bazyleva, S. I. Mazol, M. G. Lapusta, M. I. Balashevich, etc. Yu. M. Osipov and M.G. Lapust revealed the need and influence of entrepreneurship on the development of a market economy.

Theoretical Foundations of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship as a factor of production

Entrepreneurship in modern economy is a specific factor of production that combines other factors of production within an economic unit. As a result, disparate production factors form the economic system and acquire new properties - the ability to efficiently produce products and create new resources.

Thus, entrepreneurial ability is usually understood as a special kind of human resource, which consists in the ability to most effectively use all other factors of production. The specificity of this type of human resource lies in the ability and desire to introduce new types of manufactured products, technologies, forms of business organization and the possibility of incurring losses in the production process on a commercial basis. Risk is the main distinguishing feature of an entrepreneur, and the goal of entrepreneurial activity is to maximize income by identifying the most efficient combination of production factors. No one guarantees the entrepreneur that the end result of his activity will be a loss or he will receive income.

It is customary to include in the composition of this resource: firstly, entrepreneurs, which include company owners, managers who are not their owners, as well as business organizers, combining owners and managers in one person; secondly, the entire entrepreneurial infrastructure of the country, namely: the existing institutions of a market economy, i.e. banks, exchanges, Insurance companies, advisory firms; thirdly, entrepreneurial ethics and culture, as well as the entrepreneurial spirit of society.

In general, an entrepreneurial resource can be characterized as a special mechanism for the realization of people's entrepreneurial abilities, based on the current model of a market economy. All of the above provides a basis for defining entrepreneurship as a factor of production.

All factors of production interact with each other.

Entrepreneurship combines the economic resources of land, capital, labor in one enterprise

Entrepreneurship as a factor of production is a set of human abilities to use a certain combination of resources to produce a product, make reasonable and consistent decisions, apply innovations and take justified risks.

The author of the theory of factors of production is Jean-Baptiste Say. Based on A. Smith's "Research on the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations", he showed that in the daily process of production of goods, the owners of factors of production interact, which, depending on their own importance, receive one or another income.

Entrepreneurship as a factor of production is closely related to the risk factor.

First of all, let's define the initial, basic concept of "risk", bearing in mind that it is a threat, the danger of losses that can damage the economic security of an enterprise. In this understanding, entrepreneurial (economic) risk is characterized as the danger of a potentially possible, probable loss of resources or shortfall in income compared to the option designed for rational use resources in this type of entrepreneurial activity. In other words, the risk is the threat that the entrepreneur will incur losses in the form of additional expenses in excess of those provided for by the plan, the program of his actions, or will receive income below those he expected. When establishing economic risk, it is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of "expense", "losses", "losses". Any economic activity is inevitably associated with costs, while losses and losses occur under unfavorable circumstances, miscalculations and represent additional costs in excess of those planned.

In absolute terms, the risk can be determined by the amount of possible losses in material (physical) or cost (monetary) terms, if only the damage can be measured in such a way. In relative terms, risk is defined as the amount of possible losses related to a certain base, in the form of which it is most convenient to take either the property state of the enterprise, or total costs resources for this type of economic activity, or the expected income (profit) from a business operation (project). Applied to the enterprise as a basis for determining relative magnitude risk, it is advisable to take the cost of fixed assets and working capital of the enterprise or the planned total costs for this type of economic activity, bearing in mind both current costs and investments, or estimated income (profit). The choice of one base or another is not of fundamental importance, but an indicator determined with a high degree of reliability should be preferred.

In the future, the basic indicators used for comparison, we will call the calculated, or expected, indicators of profit, costs, revenue. The values ​​of these indicators are determined during the development of a business plan, in the process of a feasibility study of an operation, project or transaction.

The central place in the assessment of entrepreneurial risk is occupied by the analysis and forecasting of possible losses of resources in the implementation of the production and economic activities of the enterprise.

This does not mean the consumption of resources, objectively determined by the nature and scale of economic activity, but random, unforeseen, but potentially possible losses arising from the deviation of the real course of economic activity from the plan.

In order to assess the probability of certain losses due to the development of events according to an unforeseen option, it is necessary, first of all, to determine all types of losses associated with the implementation of the project, and be able to calculate them in advance or measure them as probable forecast values. At the same time, it is natural to want to quantify each type of loss and be able to bring them together, which, unfortunately, is not always possible to do.

Speaking about the calculation of probable losses in the process of their forecasting, it must be borne in mind that a random development of events that affects the course and results of economic activity can lead not only to losses in the form of overestimated resource costs and a decrease in the final result, but also a decrease in the costs of another resource. Therefore, if a random event has a double impact on the final results of a project, operation or transaction, has adverse and favorable consequences, then both should be equally taken into account when assessing the risk.

Losses that may be in economic activity, it is advisable to divide into material, labor, financial, loss of time, special types of losses.

Material losses are manifested in additional costs not provided for by the entrepreneurial project or direct losses of equipment, property, products, raw materials, energy, etc. In relation to each individual of the listed types of losses, their own units of measurement are applicable.

It is most natural to measure material losses in the same units in which the quantity of a given type is measured. material resources, that is, in physical units of weight, volume, area, etc. However, it is not possible to bring together the losses measured in different units and express them in one value. Therefore, it is almost inevitable to calculate losses in terms of value, in monetary units. To do this, losses in the physical dimension are converted into a cost dimension by multiplying by the unit price of the corresponding material resource.

For significant amount material resources, the cost of which is known in advance, the losses can immediately be assessed in monetary terms.

Labor losses represent the loss of working time caused by random, unforeseen circumstances. In direct measurement, labor losses are expressed in man-hours, man-days, or simply hours of working time. The translation of labor losses into value, monetary terms is carried out by multiplying the number of labor hours by the cost (price) of one hour.

Financial loss is a direct monetary loss associated with unforeseen payments, payment of fines, payment of additional taxes, loss of Money and valuable papers. In addition, financial losses may occur if there is a shortfall or non-receipt of money from the provided sources, if debts are not returned, if the buyer does not pay for the products delivered to him, if the revenue decreases due to a decrease in prices for products and services sold. Special types monetary damage associated with inflation, changes in the exchange rate, additional to the legal withdrawal of funds from enterprises in the state budget. Along with the final irretrievable losses, there may also be temporary financial losses caused by the freezing of accounts, untimely disbursement of funds, and deferment of debt payments.

Losses of time exist when the process of economic activity is slower than planned. A direct assessment of such losses is carried out in hours, days, weeks, months of delay in the intended result. In order to translate the assessment of time losses into a cost measurement, it is necessary to establish what losses of income and profits can be caused by random losses of time.

Special types of losses are manifested in the form of damage to the health and life of people, environment, the prestige of the enterprise. Most often, special types of losses are extremely difficult to quantify, even more difficult in terms of value.

Naturally, for each type of loss, the initial assessment of the possibility of their occurrence and magnitude should be made for a certain time, covering the month, year, and duration of the project. When conducting a comprehensive analysis of probabilistic losses for risk assessment, it is important not only to identify all sources of risk, but also to identify which sources prevail. Analyzing the types of losses listed above, it is necessary to divide the probable losses into determining and secondary losses based on the very overall assessment their magnitudes.

When determining business risk, collateral losses can be excluded in a quantitative assessment of the level of risk. If among the losses under consideration one type is singled out, which, either in magnitude or in probability of occurrence, deliberately suppresses the others, then only this type of losses can be accepted when quantifying the level of risk. In addition, it is necessary to take into account only random losses that are not amenable to direct calculation, direct forecasting and therefore not taken into account in the entrepreneurial project. If losses can be foreseen in advance, then they should be considered not as losses, but as unavoidable costs and included in production costs.

In addition to risk, it is necessary to consider the uncertainty in which the entrepreneurial function manifests itself and its income is formed. It is uninsurable uncertainty, not taken into account in the expectations of entrepreneurs, that becomes the "environment" of the entrepreneur's activity. The rest of the income that the entrepreneur receives is formed after the satisfaction of all obligations, including risk insurance. The size of this balance depends partly on entrepreneurial abilities and the ability to overcome uncertainty, as well as on the nature of the combination of random factors with the surrounding ones. economic conditions. As a result, only that risk leads to entrepreneurial profit, which is the unique uncertainty resulting from the assumption of ultimate responsibility, which by its very nature cannot be insured, capitalized, or compensated by salaries.

Uncertainty about the future is an inherent feature of every day, and only those individuals who deal with it constantly in their economic expectations are entrepreneurs.

R. Cantillon believed that the function of entrepreneurship is to act in uncertainty, to find in it a source of satisfaction of one's material needs, and this function formed the basis of his concept of a market system.

It was this interpretation of the entrepreneur that marked the direction for researchers who shared R. Cantillon's point of view on risk as the most important aspect of the entrepreneurial function.

The motivation for personal responsibility decisions taken under conditions of uncertainty, G. Shackle's research also differs. It is characterized by a general denial of the state of equilibrium, outside of which only an entrepreneur can exist, and the violation of which is the direction of his activity. At the same time, he singles out the transfer of uncertainty and decision-making as the most important functions. The latter is carried out on an intuitive or instinctive level with full responsibility for it.

Uncertainty is also a "state of mind", something subjective, however, limited by both personal and environmental possibilities.

F. Knight's studies of the nature of entrepreneurial income formed the basis of modern points of view on risk and uncertainty. Its results provide an opportunity to assess the boundaries between traditional corporate governance and entrepreneurship.