ABSTRACT
The chapter is based on a range of studies and reports concerning the operation of family businesses and it depicts the significance of family businesses in the economy. It discusses the number and relevance of family businesses in various regions and countries of the world, with particular emphasis on countries such as Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Malta, Finland, and Denmark. The chapter devotes the most attention to Polish family businesses, presenting not only their number and demographics (among others, age, range of operation, size) and their impact on the Polish economy, but also discussing many aspects of their functioning. The characteristics of Polish family entrepreneurship include, for example, issues related to family ties, family business management, challenges, opportunities, and barriers to development which these enterprises face, and their plans, predictions, and feelings about the future.
