Industrial and economic activities of enterprises in the market system has some degree of uncertainty, risk. This uncertainty is primarily due to the fact that the economic situation is subject to random influences both objective and subjective. There is confusion and uncertainty in obtaining the expected end result, and thus increases the risk

To determine the economic category of «risk» in the article the theoretical development of classical and neoclassical theories about business risk considered. The interpretation of this category by the classical and neoclassical school analyzed.

The authors found that neither the representatives of classical economics, or neoclassical theory does not researched categories of "uncertainty" and "risk" and not conducted a clear boundary between these concepts. Established the first time they clearly delineate F. Knight.

Analysis of different definitions of risk given the possibility authors argue that the most authors risk associated with the onset of an event or determined taking into account the probability. However, this interpretation makes it impossible to control the risk, because, in this definition, it is likely identity management, providing enterprise management process spontaneity.

The authors gave a description of risk situation as a situation of relative uncertainty in which the event is likely and can be determined. In this case, the objective is possible to estimate the probability of events that arise as a result joint activity partners, the impact of the environment on the economy, introduction of scientific and technological achievements, etc.

This article contains the author's conclusion that the risk must be considered in terms of events and nature. As a phenomenon, risk – it is usually unexpected losses. At the level of the essence risk is the economic relations of economic agents that market conditions are always stochastic, disordered likely character that allows call them unreliable.

The concept of «risk» the authors identified the following main elements:

1) the possibility of deviation from the intended purpose for which the selected alternative;

2) the probability of achieving the expected results;

3) the possibility of material and other losses associated with the implementation of the selected alternative in the face of uncertainty.

In this article concluded that many can identify the risks faced by an economic entity and classification often depends on a number of factors unique to each individual company.

The contradictory as a feature of risk manifests itself in various ways. Being the kind of business risk, on the one hand, focused on obtaining socially significant extraordinary results, new methods under uncertainty and situations of choice. On the other hand, leads to the risk of adventure, subjectivity, curbing social progress, to the different socio and economic and moral costs, if the conditions of incomplete initial information about the selected alternative risk situation without due consideration of the objective laws of phenomena relative which the decision.

Keywords: risk, risk types, history research risk, classification of risks, risk elements.