The dissertation reveals the theoretical and methodological fundamentals of the research on development of the enterprises of rural territorial communities. The author has shaped a framework of categories to define the concepts of “potential” and “economic potential”. The work supplies systematization of the scientific approaches concerning interpretation of the mentioned categories in the foreign and domestic economic literature. The study of economic potential of enterprises allowed to pay attention to the system and integrated approach to the interpretation of the category "economic potential of the enterprise", as the ability and possibility of productive and economic activities which are changed according to changes in both internal and external environment. because the enterprise is able to form, reveal, develop and use its own resources in the appropriate economic conditions. It has been argned orientation of the economic potential of the enterprise on strengthening of competitive positions which depend on key factors of success such as: knowledge, ability, mobility, innovation, level of the organization of manage- 8 ment, diversification of manufacture. The structural components of the economic potential of the enterprise have been improved: production potential (equity and attracted capital, solvency, liquidity, receivables management, profit distribution management, current assets management); development strategy (economic strategy, forecasting, marketing, benchmarking, internal consulting, controlling, economic risk assessment, competitive advantage, product diversification, environmental products, sustainable development); investment and innovation potential (asset formation, investment attractiveness, investment efficiency, investment portfolio formation, current assets management); information potential, which is a set of mechanisms of organizational interaction that allow on the basis of a systematic analysis of the external and internal environment to obtain the necessary amount of information about the current state and expected changes; the concept of managerial potential should be understood as the ability of the management staff of the enterprise in accordance with the level of education and professional competencies to influence management decisions.
