Business plays an important role in the social and economic development of the country and contributes to formation of a competitive environment, increase in output of consumer goods, extension of the services sphere, creation of new jobs and additional economic sustainability.

Small business is an emerging growth sector of the economy has gradually increased its contribution to overall economic growth of the republic.
Program activities, government support of small business in the Republic of Belarus for 2008, as well as other measures taken by the Government and the Head of State to create a favorable business climate in the country have improved the contribution of small businesses in the country's economy.
According to the Ministry of Statistics and Analysis for the year 2008 the share of GDP produced by small businesses, which amounted to 9,3 per cent of GDP and increased compared with the year 2007 by 1 percentage point.
In 2008 the subjects of small business produced 8.4 percent of total industrial production (in 2007, 7.6 per cent), 19.9 percent of total retail turnover (in 2007 - 11.2 per cent), 16.7 cent of total foreign trade turnover (in 2007 - 15,2%).
The share of proceeds received in 2008, small enterprises, amounted to 20,7% and increased in comparison with 2007 by 2,6 percentage points.
The profitability of small business products (works, services) amounted to 17,1 percent, in 2007 the figure was 13,7 percent. At the same time the enterprises not related to small business, the profitability was 16.3%.
The most profitable was realized production (services) in the field of real estate operations - 71,9%, in the field of logistics and marketing - 33,3%, trade and public catering - 32.5%, in the field of information services -- 26,8%. Profitability in the industry amounted to 12,7%, construction - 18,7%, agriculture - 20,0%, transport - 9,9%.
As of 1 January 2009 the number of small enterprises of all forms of ownership amounted to 68 thousand enterprises, which is 16.8 thousand more than in 2007, or 32.7 per cent.
Branch structure of small business varies. The largest number of such enterprises engaged in trade and public catering - 42.5%, industry - 21,0%, construction - 9,6%, transport - 8,7%, agriculture - 3,5%.
Analysis of the distribution of small enterprises by regions of the country shows that most of them concentrated in
Minsk and Minsk region (38.3% and 15.1% respectively of the total number of small enterprises).
Over the past few years have seen a positive trend share of employment in small business in total employment in the economy of the republic: from 14,4% in 2003 to 17,1% in 2007. Results in the small business (with individual entrepreneurs and their employees) in 2008, the employed 19.7 percent of employment in the economy. The average number of workers employed in small enterprises in 2008 amounted to 535.7 thousand people, in 2007 this figure amounted to 429 thousand people.
At the sectoral structure of the lead employed in industry (34,9% of total employment in small enterprises), in trade and public catering (29,3%), construction (14,6%), transport (9.1 %).