Barriers to the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

The article examines the threats posed by modern society to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which significantly hinder or may potentially obstruct entrepreneurial development. It is established that these barrier threats are numerous, interrelated, and often the presence of one barrier inevitably leads to the emer-gence of another. The findings and conclusions obtained in the course of the work are based on data from a sociological study conducted among entrepreneurs and consumers of services provided by SMEs in Moscow and the Moscow region. Domestic entrepreneurs in general, highlighting a number of essential barriers to business, successfully overcome them, consumers highly appreciate the prospects for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia. To ensure the sustainability of entrepreneurship, further gov-ernmental support is essential, taking into account the most effective practices.