Social Entrepreneurship as A Factor in the Development of Rural Communities in Ukraine

The results of empirical research of public opinion of rural areas residents and entrepreneurs working in rural communities to determine the need for the development of social entrepreneurship are presented. The purpose of the survey was to establish the feasibility, prospects and directions of the development of social entrepreneurship within the rural areas of Ukraine and to identify the readiness of the business environment for the perception of a new concept for doing business for them. The survey was conducted among the rural population and entrepreneurs of all ages, social status, education level, type of activity. The results of the study made it possible to find out the attitude of the rural population towards social entrepreneurship, to identify its potential loyalty to the consumption of the product, which will offer the specified category of entrepreneurs, identify the greatest problems of the rural territory, the level of satisfaction with the environment and business, the adequacy of information provision for social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs' readiness to social activity and directions of its development; the reasons that restrain the spread of social ideas in business are identified. The conducted research has allowed to reveal the reasons of low level of spread of social enterprise in the Ukrainian society. The revealed sentiments among citizens can be used by the state authorities when developing the strategy of development of rural areas of Ukraine and tested in entrepreneurial activity