Business and its environment Flashcards
Consumer goods
The physical and tangible goods sold to the general public – they include durable consumer goods, such as cars and washing machines, and non-durable consumer goods, such as food, drinks and sweets that can be used only once.
Consumer services
The non-tangible products sold to the general public – they include hotel accommodation, insurance services and train journeys.
Capital goods
The physical goods used by the industry to aid in the production of other goods and services, such as machines and commercial vehicles.
Creating value
Increasing the difference between the cost of purchasing bought-in materials and the price the finished goods are sold for.
Added value
The difference between the cost of purchasing bought-in materials and the price the finished goods are sold for.
Opportunity cost
The benefit of the next most desired option which is given up.
Entrepreneur
Someone who takes the financial risk of starting and managing a new venture.
Social enterprise
A business with mainly social objectives that reinvests most of its profits into benefiting society rather than maximizing returns to owners.
Triple bottom line
The three objectives of social enterprises: economic, social, and environmental.
Primary sector business activity
Firms engaged in farming, fishing, oil extraction and all other industries that extract natural resources so that they can be used and processed by other firms.
Secondary sector business activity
Firms that manufacture and process products from natural resources, including computers, brewing, baking, clothes-making and construction.
Tertiary sector business activity
Firms that provide services to consumers and other businesses, such as retailing, transport, insurance, banking, hotels, tourism and telecommunications.
Public sector
Comprises organizations accountable to and controlled by central or local government (the state).
Private sector
Comprises businesses owned and controlled by individuals or groups of individuals.
Mixed economy
Economic resources are owned and controlled by both private and public sectors.
Free-market economy
Economic resources are owned largely by the private sector with very little state intervention.
Command economy
Economic resources are owned, planned and controlled by the state.
Sole trader
A business in which one person provides the permanent finance and, in return, has full control of the business and is able to keep all of the profits.
Partnership
A business formed by two or more people to carry on a business together, with shared capital investment and, usually, shared responsibilities.
Limited liability
The only liability – or potential loss – a shareholder has if the company fails is the amount invested in the company, not the total wealth of the shareholder.
Private limited company
A small to medium-sized business that is owned by shareholders who are often members of the same family; this company cannot sell shares to the general public.
Share
A certificate confirming part ownership of a company and entitling the shareholder to dividends and certain shareholder rights.
Shareholder
A person or institution owning shares in a limited company.
Public limited company
A limited company, often a large business, with legal rights to sell shares to the general public – share prices are quoted on the national stock exchange.
Memorandum of Association
This states the name of the company, the address of the head office through which it can be contacted, the maximum share capital for which the company seeks authorization and the declared aims of the business.
Articles of Association
This document covers the internal workings and control of the business – for example, the names of directors and the procedures to be followed at the meetings will be declared.
Franchise
A business that uses the name, logo and trading systems of an existing successful business.
Joint venture
Two or more businesses agree to work closely together on a particular project and create a separate business division to do so.
Holding company
A business organization that owns and controls a number of separate businesses, but does not unite them into one unified company.
Public corporation
A business enterprise owned and controlled by the state – also known as nationalized industry.
Free trade
No restrictions or trade barriers exist that might prevent or limit trade between countries.
Tariffs
Taxes imposed on imported goods to make them more expensive than they would otherwise be.
Quotas
Limits on the physical quantity or value of certain goods that might be imported.
Voluntary export limits
An exporting country agrees to limit the quantity of certain goods sold to one country (possibly to discourage the setting of tariffs/quotas).