Business in the Real World (1) Flashcards
Define Goods and Services
Goods are physical items like books and furniture whereas Services are actions performed by other people for the customer eg. barbers and plumbers
Define Needs and Wants
Needs are things you can’t live without like water and food whereas Wants are things you would like to have but can survive without like holidays or jewellery
What are the main reasons that a business is set up?
4 reasons
- Making a good or providing a service that they think
customers would pay for - To distribute goods
- To benefit other people. They could make goods or provide a service
- Fufil a business opportunity
What are the 3 sectors of the economy?
The Primary Sector, The Secondary Sector and The Tertiary Sector
What happens in the Primary Sector?
The Primary Sector produces raw materials- any natural resources that are used to make goods or services
Where can the raw materials in the Primary Sector be found?
They can be extracted from the ground by the mining industry, grown by the farming industry, or collected by the fishing industry
What happens in the Secondary Sector?
The Secondary Sector manufactures goods. They turn raw materials into finished goods
What happens in the Tertiary Sector?
The Tertiary Sector provides services
Who can the services be provided for?
Some firms provide services for other businesses like warehousing and advertising. Some firms provide services for consumers like hairdressers, shops and restaurants
What is an entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur is somebody who comes up with a business idea. This can be by themselves or with a partner
What qualities make a successful entrepreneur?
4 qualities
Hardworking, organised, innovative and a risk taker
What are the Four Factors of Production?
Land, Labour, Capital and Enterprise
Define Land
Land includes all the Earth’s natural resources such as natural gas, oil and coal, materials extracted by mining like diamond and gold, water and animals found in an area
What is the problem with using natural resources?
They’re all scarce, there aren’t enough resources to satisfy the demands of everyone
Define Labour
Labour is the work done by the people who contribute to the production process
What factors can affect how ‘valuable’ a person is in a workplace?
Their level of education, experience or training
Define Capital
Capital is the equipment, factories and schools that help to produce goods or services
How is Capital different to Land?
Capital has to be made first
Define enterprise
Enterprise refers to the entrepreneurs who take risks and create things from the other 3 factors of production
What is opportunity cost?
Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative that’s been given up
Describe a business owned by a sole trader
Sole trader businesses have one owner but that owner can employ people to work for them. Most small businesses are sole traders. Businesses like plumbers, hairdressers, newsagents and fishmongers are all examples of sole traders
What are the advantages of being a sole trader?
3 advantages
- They’re easy to set up
- You get to be your own boss
- You can decide what happens to any profit
What are the disadvantages of being a sole trader?
4 disadvantages
- You may have to work long hours with little holidays
- You have unlimited liability meaning that if the business
goes into debt, you are liable for paying back and may
have to sell personal possessions - You’re unincorporated which means the business doesn’t
have its own legal identity so if anyone sues the
business, they’ll sue you personally - It can be hard to raise money or get a bank loan
Describe a business owned by a partnership
Business like accountancy firms, solicitors and doctors’ surgeries. Partnerships generally have two or more partners. Each partner has an equal say in making decisions and an equal share of the profits- unless they have an agreement in the deed of partnership that says different
What are the advantages of being in a partnership?
3 advantages
- More owners means more ideas and a greater range of
skills and expertise - More people to share the work
- More owners means more capital (money) can be put
into the business, so it can grow faster
What are the disadvantages of being in a partnership?
4 disadvantages
- Each partner is legally responsible for what all other
partners do - Most partnerships have unlimited liability
- Potential disagreements by including more partners
- The profits are shared between the partners resulting in
less money than a sole trader could earn
Who are Limited Companies owned by?
Shareholders
What are 2 types of Limited companies?
Private (ltd) Public (plc)
What are the differences between these ownerships and sole traders and partnerships?
(3 differences)
- A limited company is incorporated (it has a separate
legal identity from the owners) so any money, property,
tax bills etc. in the company’s name belong to the
company , not the owners - Being incorporated means the owners have limited
liability. If anything goes wrong, its the company thats
liable not the owners, they can only lose money that they
invested in the business - Because its owned by shareholders, the more shares
you own, the more control you get
Describe a Private Limited Company (ltd)
Private means that shares can only be sold if all the shareholders agree. The shareholders are often all members of the same family.
What are the advantages of a Private Limited Company?
4 advantages
- They have limited liability- you can’t lose more than you
have invested - Being incorporated, the company can continue trading
after a shareholder dies- unlike a partnership - Its easier for a ltd company to get a loan or mortgage
than it is for a sole trader or partnership - For someone to buy shares, all the other shareholders
have to agree so the owners get a lot of control on how
the business is managed
What are the disadvantages of a Private Limited Company?
2 disadvantages
- They’re more expensive to set up than partnerships
because of all the legal paperwork needed - Unlike sole traders or partnerships, the company is
legally obliged to publish its accounts every year
Describe a Public Limited Company (plc)
The companies shares are traded on a stock exchange, and can be bought and sold by anyone. Firms often become Public Limited Companies when they want to expand