Achieving a competitive advantage is a major problem in the strategic management of each company operating in market conditions. Market realities are identified by dynamic competitive situations, characterized by the presence in the market of a large number of enterprises. Each of them is aware that the entities operating in the same market may be a threat to the company, which means that they can remove it from the market. The advantageous position of an enterprise in relation to other competitors, and thus gaining a competitive advantage over them, effectively requires overcoming restrictions resulting both from the changing environment, as well as those caused by the resources of the company. The main objective of this paper is to present how small and medium-sized enterprises operating in rural areas are acquiring and maintaining a competitive advantage in the market. The study will present competitive activities conducted by enterprises with particular emphasis on innovation, the conditions for their implementation and the opportunities and risks arising from their use, with particular regard to the specificity of the SME sector in rural areas of the Lublin province. The presented results are part of a broader research environment of small and medium sized enterprises operating in the province of Lublin.

Achieving a competitive advantage is a major problem in the strategic management of each company operating in market conditions. Market realities are identified by dynamic competitive situations, characterized by the presence in the market of a large number of enterprises. Each of them is aware that the entities operating in the same market may be a threat to the company, which means that they can remove it from the market. The advantageous position of an enterprise in relation to other competitors, and thus gaining a competitive advantage over them, effectively requires overcoming restrictions resulting both from the changing environment, as well as those caused by the resources of the company. The main objective of this paper is to present how small and medium-sized enterprises operating in rural areas are acquiring and maintaining a competitive advantage in the market. The study will present competitive activities conducted by enterprises with particular emphasis on innovation, the conditions for their implementation and the opportunities and risks arising from their use, with particular regard to the specificity of the SME sector in rural areas of the Lublin province. The presented results are part of a broader research environment of small and medium sized enterprises operating in the province of Lublin.