Business In The Real World Flashcards
What is a business?
An organisation that trades it’s products and services for money.
What is a product?
Anything that is capable of satisfying customer needs, it is tangible and can be touched
What is a service?
A service is an act that a business person carries out for you in exchange for money
Example: gardening, hairdresser
What are the 4 factors of production?
Land– somewhere to produce the goods e.g. a farm
Labour– people to work in the business e.g. farm workers
Capital– money to get the business started
Enterprise– This is the drive or motivation from the owners to start a business
What is an opportunity cost?
The cost of not selecting an alternative decision ( that idea had the opportunity to do better so it is not literal cost but a metaphorical cost.)
What are 5 good reasons to start a business?
To produce goods
To supply a service
To distribute products
To fulfill a business opportunity
Providing a good or service to benefit others – social enterprise
What is a social enterprise?
A business which has the objective of trading to help people or the planet, rather than making a profit
What is the primary sector?
The primary sector extracts raw materials from the planet ( mining diamonds )
What is the secondary sector?
In the secondary sector goods are manufactured from raw materials into finished goods ( metal made into cars )
What is the tertiary sector?
The tertiary sector also includes shops, retail, banking and insurance
What is the definition of enterprise?
A company or business
What is an entrepreneur?
A person who starts a business and takes on financial risk in the hope of making a profit
Why would some people want to become an entrepreneur?
To be your own boss
Flexible hours
To pursue an interest
Dissatisfaction with current job
To identify a gap in the market
To earn more money
What are inflation rates?
The rate of increase in prices for goods and services
What are interest rates?
This is set by the Bank of England. When this rises the cost of borrowing increases
How would inflation rates affect a business?
If these go up in the UK then raw materials required to make goods may increase
How would interest rates affect a business?
A rise interest rates will impact a business because if they have loans or overdrafts these will now cost them more
What are unemployment rates?
The rate of unemployment in the UK is those people without a job who have been actively seeking work in the past 4 weeks and are available to start work in the next 2 weeks
How would unemployment rates affect a business?
More unemployed means that a business will have more applicants per job that they advertise
What are exchange rates?
the cost of one currency expressed in terms of another e.g. $ to £
How would exchange rates affect a business?
If the pound is strong (increases) then a business thatimports will find that the goods become cheaper, however if they export the goods will become dearer
What is a sole trader?
A sole trader is a business which has only one owner
Have unlimited liability
What are some examples of sole traders?
Corner shops
Plumber
Electrician
Cleaner
What are the advantages of being a sole trader?
They are their own boss
Easy to set up
Need less capital
What are the disadvantages of being a sole trader?
Unlimited liability
Difficult to raise money
No one to take over if ill
What does unlimited liability mean?
This means that the business and the owner are ONE legal entity
If the business gets into debt, the owner gets into debt
What is a partnership?
2 or more people that run a business and are all joint owners of the business
What are some examples of partnerships?
Doctors
Dentists
Accountants
Solicitors
What are some advantages of partnerships?
Easy to set up
Small capital needed
All information about the business can be kept private
What are some disadvantages of partnerships?
Unlimited liability
Can disagree on many things
Trust can be an issue
What does limited liability mean?
When an owner can only lose the money they invest into the business
If the business is in debt, the owners will only lose the money they put into the business
What is a private limited company ( ltd ) ?
Shares cannot be bought by the public, the share issue is limited (hence the ltd) to friends and family who can buy shares in the business
Have limited liability