The enterprises operate in a competitive and unstable environment, which is considered a normal phenomenon in a free-competitive economy. They constantly look for better and better solutions for the effective functioning of their business. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are a key element of any market economy. These entities are perceived as a group facing numerous barriers, both at the time of their creation and further operation. One of the key limitations, often conditioning the establishment or continuation of operations, is the difficult access to financing sources. Therefore, this publication focused on selected methods of raising capital that are currently convenient for the MSME sector. The following instruments were analyzed and assessed: crowdfunding aimed at enterprises, loans and credits, considered from the perspective of microfinance, as well as a mortgage loan as a way to finance investment projects. All these forms share a common idea - financial support for the MSME sector in accessing capital. The main aim of the study was to broaden the knowledge of the indicated financial instruments, to present their functioning in Poland in a compact manner and to verify their current structure and availability for enterprises. It should also be emphasized that all the discussed instruments can be used successfully in the booming economy, but they are of particular importance in a downturn. The period covered by the analysis is the perspective of the last dozen or so years, and the geographical scope covers Poland, with reference to examples occurring in other countries.

This book is included in DOAB.