Published: 15 June 2016
Purpose. To identify tools at the entry, transformation and exit stages in the system of small and medium businesses support in order to reveal the efficient combination of methods applied in the course of implementation of the target program. Methodology and research methods. As the main method the systematic approach is used, which allows to assess, on the basis of synthesis of relationship between the individual elements of the program, and to identify the synergetic effect. Also, methods of comparative analysis, classification, and the secondary results of empirical research are used in the article. This work is based on using only the official statistics and accounting data, except for the influence of the shadow sector of the economy. Practical results. The increase in the number of small businesses and low efficiency of the existing support at local and regional level has brought to the containment of entrepreneurship development. The article analyzes the experience of effective use of the program-target method and the applied tools which allowed on the example of Nyagan town, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, to reveal the existing strengths and weaknesses in the implementation of the entrepreneurial potential of the population and to identify the main areas for improvement in this direction.