In every country, the conditions for business and the business environment itself are different, favourable or unfavourable for different business sectors. Not only for the development of the region is an important carrier of active business activity. The aim of this article is to conduct a survey of conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises in the city of Karvina in the Czech Republic. With regard to the aim of the work is carried out a questionnaire survey focused on small and medium-sized enterprises in the city of Karvina. Secondary data are obtained from the Czech Statistical Office. Based on the research, it was found that the main sources of motivation for starting a business are self-realization, being a boss and having flexible working hours. In addition, factors that generally affect entrepreneurship, such as the quality of the workforce, legislation, bureaucracy, and related operations have been identified. The barriers faced by businesses in Karvina when starting their business are administration and bureaucracy, legislative demands and a lack of quality workforce associated with low-skilled workers. Within Karvina, the number of registered entities is approximately one-half higher each year compared to entities with detected activity, except for cooperatives. There is a considerable predominance on the part of business entities of natural persons doing business under the Trade Licensing Act over legal entities.