Polish microbusinesses want to grow, but above all they want to do so safely. A survey commissioned by Krajowy Rejestr Długów (KRD) shows that 62% of owners prefer gradual, cautious growth, while only 13% are prepared to pursue faster expansion at the cost of higher risk. Although 75% are open to developing their business, only 24% think growth over the next 12 months is likely.
The study, “At Their Own Pace: Ambitions and Limits of Microbusiness Growth”, suggests that owners of the smallest firms do not primarily define development in terms of scale, brand recognition or international expansion. Profit, revenue and stability matter more. In a microbusiness, one failed investment or a sudden increase in costs can hit liquidity much faster than in a large organisation.
Growth, but without jumping into the deep end
The largest group, 61.7%, says it wants to expand gradually and cautiously without taking excessive risk. Dynamic growth despite greater risk is acceptable to 13.2%, while 25% say growth is not important if it requires additional risk.
Adam Łącki, CEO of KRD BIG, argues that caution among the smallest companies should not automatically be read as a lack of ambition. For a microenterprise, a single bad investment or rapid cost increase can become a serious burden, so stable revenue and business continuity remain central priorities.
Profit matters more than scale
For 54.8% of entrepreneurs, growth means higher profit; 44.4% point to higher revenue. More customers are cited by 36.9%, while 35.1% identify greater stability. Brand recognition, hiring and foreign expansion rank much lower.
The distinction between profit and revenue is important. Microbusiness owners do not necessarily view higher turnover as progress if costs, liquidity risk and workload rise at the same time. Growth makes sense when it leaves a larger financial surplus or improves the security of the business.
Jakub Kostecki, vice-president of Kaczmarski Inkasso, points to another consequence of expansion: more customers and orders often mean more invoices with deferred payment terms. That increases the risk that a small company will end up financing its customers’ delays from its own cash.
B2C firms look to customers, B2B firms to margins and stability
The definition of growth varies by business model. Among B2C companies, 58% point to higher profit, 44% to more customers and 43% to higher revenue. Scale in this segment is more directly tied to transaction volumes and purchasing frequency.
B2B firms focus even more strongly on profit, cited by 60%, and revenue, cited by 47%. Only 27% equate growth with a larger customer base, while 41% identify greater stability. In business-to-business relationships, expansion can come from a larger contract, deeper cooperation with an existing customer or improved margins.
Three quarters want development, but only one in four expects near-term growth
The biggest gap in the survey is between general ambition and expectations for the next 12 months. While 75% are open to growth, only 5.9% say it is very likely and 17.9% say it is rather likely. Combined, that is just under 24%.
Another 42% cannot say whether their company will grow within a year. That may reflect dependence on market conditions, uncertainty over demand and costs, or limited ability to plan. Optimism is strongest among the youngest firms: 36% of businesses operating for up to five years see growth as likely, compared with 16% of firms older than a decade.
Not wanting to grow is more common than financial barriers
Among entrepreneurs who consider growth unlikely over the next 12 months, the most common reason is not lack of funding. Some 38.2% simply say they do not need or want to expand further. Falling demand is cited by 24.3%, rapidly changing markets by 20.2%, plans to close or reduce activity by 17.9%, and financial problems by 12.1%.
The findings underline that stagnation is not always a failure. For some owners, the current scale is sufficient and further expansion would mean more obligations, fixed costs, responsibility and less personal time. In a microbusiness, the boundary between corporate strategy and the owner’s preferred way of life is often much less distinct than in a large company.
Survey methodology
The nationwide survey was conducted by IMAS International for Krajowy Rejestr Długów Biuro Informacji Gospodarczej in July 2026 using online CAWI interviews. It covered 507 people actively running sole proprietorships, either working alone or employing no more than nine people.
