In the elaboration of this paper, the main oblectives have been: to reveal the complex interdependence between the business environment – enabling, permisive and unfavorable – and the entrepreneurs, outlining the crucial role of the state as the major business environment component; to present the recent evaluations of the Romanian business environment by the entrepreneurs in 2012 and 2011, by the World Bank, and by EU bodies; to formulate a set of recommendations regarding the improvement of the Romanian business environment and SMEs development. All complex business and SMEs elements involved have been analysed in the context of the recent international and national evolutions generated by the economic crisis, projecting ways focused on the building an enabling business environment for SMEs in the next future.