Steps to Success: Competitive Advantage of Modern Enterprises in Poland

Introduction

Success is currently defined through the prism of profits achieved by the company, which is associated with the number of customers. Enterprises entering the market have to reckon with high competition if their activities are not strictly related to innovations and patents introducing new products and services to the market (Białek-Jaworska, Ziembiński, & Zięba, 2016). Therefore, when opening a business, one should analyze both the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise, as well as its chances and threats resulting from functioning in a given environment. This will allow building a company's strategy on the market.

Being an entrepreneur is a big challenge of independence, an opportunity for professional and financial success, often also the implementation of passion and professional ambitions. Entrepreneurship is stereotypically associated with unlimited income, flexible working time, freedom, independence, lack of a boss, and implementation of own ideas. The advantages of one's own business are one of the parties; the other is the disadvantages associated with the uncertainty of staying in the market, the risk of failure and loss of funds invested, insufficient qualifications, and knowledge to run a business. Therefore, the decision about starting a business should be preceded by market analyzes, resources held, and assessment of the business skills.

Drucker distinguished seven sources of opportunities for an entrepreneur and his/her company. He divided them into internal and external conditions (Drucker, 1992). The former included unsuspected success or lack of success, as well as an unexpected external event. This can be related to the situation of an opportunity or its non-use, which generates a change in the situation of a given company. It can be said that this is a significant step in developing the company, following trends, adapting to the environments. Otherwise, the company can keep its status quo, without going forward, going backward. Secondly, the inconsistency between the reality and the image of it, which results in a positive motivation for the opportunities that the entrepreneur faces, or on the contrary, barriers, limitations, and disappointments that arise. The last aspect of the internal factors, that is, those that depend on the entrepreneur, may be innovations that result from the need for the process and changes occurring in the market structure. In order to effectively implement activities, it is necessary to be up to date and be oriented in terms of the requirements set for market participants.

In turn, to external sources, Drucker included those that refer to changes in the company's environment. These include demography, changes in perception, moods, values, as well as knowledge in exact and other sciences (Oslo Manual, 2005). These sources are independent of the entrepreneur; hence, in order to be successful on the market and be successful, it is necessary to respond to them. An entrepreneur who will effectively use occasional opportunities has a great chance to win with the competition.

The use of resources such as knowledge and management process are a step to success on the market. They are used to identify opportunities and opportunities on the market, aim to improve the competitive position, build a dynamic and learning organization, and strengthen the values of the company. The management process requires today's entrepreneurs for a specific behavior that is distinguished by creativity, learning ability, and openness to change. Companies that want to build their potential are required to become learning organizations today. The concept concerns the focus on continuous improvement of its products, processes, and services; it aims to support employees in the process of individual and group learning and also incorporates the process of learning from each other (Dziekoński & Jurczuk, 2009).

The necessity of developing knowledge and the ability to make uncertain decisions and introduce innovative undertakings is a requirement today.

Another element of building competitiveness is the use of Internet capabilities in company management. It becomes a communication platform for implementing a strategic goal, close cooperation, data exchange, and providing new possibilities for implementing business models. Today, the importance of gathering, processing, and sharing information, often of a multimedia nature, in the creation of a knowledge-based economy is underlined. It is the knowledge that drives the development of enterprises.