The role of small business in the modern economy and its development in Russia in the early 2000s

The article is devoted to determining the role of small business in the modern economy and the specifics of its development in the Russian economy in the early 2000s. The author notes that, especially since the works of A.I. Schumpeter, the innovativeness of this activity began to be considered as its main feature. The paper presents the social and economic functions of small business in the development of the modern economy and society as a whole. It has been determined that entrepreneurship is based on cooperation between large and small companies, in which large enterprises do not suppress the activities of small ones, but strive to carry out mutually beneficial cooperation with them. It was also noted that the growth in the employment rate at small businesses is due to the current situation in large businesses. As the author points out, in the innovation policy of developed countries, the main attention is paid to the innovative structures of small and medium-sized businesses. The features of the development of small business in the Russian economy in the early 2000s are highlighted, among which the author highlights the presence of significant differentiation by region in terms of the number of operating small business structures, as well as the fact that most of them were in the areas of trade and public catering. It has been determined that despite its certain economic and social advantages, small business needs state support to create the economic, political and legal conditions necessary for the development of this activity.