2.2.1 The structure of business activity Flashcards
analyse and discuss why business exists
Businesses exist to provide goods or services to customers.
Possible motives include:
-Making a profit. A business does this by selling items at a price that more than covers the costs of production. Owners keep the profit as a reward for risk-taking and enterprise.
-The satisfaction that comes from setting up a successful business and being independent.
-Being able to make a difference by offering a service to the community such as a charity shop or hospice.
define stakeholder
an individual group of people who have an interest in a business and its activities
examples of stakeholders
- Owners who are interested in how much profit the business makes.
- Managers who are concerned about their salary.
- Workers who want to earn high wages and keep their jobs.
- Customers who want the business to produce quality products at reasonable prices.
- Suppliers who want the business to continue to buy their products.
describe profit as a business objective
- some businesses might want to ‘maximise profits’, which means they’ll try to make as much profit as possible.
- other might try to make just enough to pay for future plans(satisficing)
describe increase market share as a business objective
a market is any place buyers and sellers meet. To increase market share business needs to gain greater percentage of total sales in market. business might takeover competitors in order ti increase their market share
describe growth as a business objective
- doesn’t necessarily mean increase in profit
- sales growth often achieved by opening more outlets
describe survival as a business objective
- objective of new businesses, or established businesses facing problems such as falling sales
- covering costs with revenue may temporarily be enough
describe service as a business objective
- closely linked to profit, better service, the more customers will be attracted and o profits grow
- good service=good reputation
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of social enterprise
social enterprises or ‘more than profit’ organisations are profit-seeking businesses that exist to achieve social objectives, aim to use profit made for benefit of society
analyse and discuss how the aims and objectives of business may change over tie and with changing circumstances
- new+small businesses interested in survival
- as business grows, focus on needs of wider stakeholders
- PLCs have to protect interest of shareholders, so likely to place profit as most important objective
- business needs to react to changing needs of stakeholders, power of different stakeholders may change over time
primary sector
- first stage of production
- produces raw materials for other businesses to use
secondary sector
- second stage of production
- uses raw materials to manufacture gods
tertiary sector
- last stage
- concerned with providing a service
reasons for change in primary sector
- raw materials used up
- increased use of machinery
- foreign competition
reasons for change in secondary sector
- use of machinery to replace jobs
- foreign competition, products manufactured overseas
reasons for change in tertiary sector
- rise in population
- increase in wealth
- increased leisure time, money spent on things like sports, cinema, travel
- businesses putting more emphasis on customer service
define interdependence
the way in which businesses i different sectors depend upon each other
define sole trader/proprietors
any business that is owned and controlled by one person
advantages of sole traders/proprietors
- set up is cheap and easy
- owner has complete control of business and its profits
- owner is able to keep all profits
disadvantages of sole traders/proprietors
- may have to work long hours and lack holidays
- unlimited liability
- unincorporated, business not legally separate from owner
- shortage of skills
define partnerships
a business which can have a minimum of 2 but maximum of 20 owners
advantages of partnerships
- variety of skills
- easy and cheap to set u
- financial info remains private
- workload and ideas can be shared