Midterm - Ch 1,3,4,5, E-scan, Alison’s Coffee Shop Flashcards
Business
An organization that seeks profit by offering products (goods and services) to satisfy society’s needs (organization, company)
Good
A physical, tangible product that we can see and touch
Service
An intangible product that we experience or use
Why study Business
- helps you choose a career. You can evaluate different industries, different sizes, and different employers and possibilities for starting your own business.
- it can improve your career. Improve management skills (interpersonal, analytical, technical, and conceptual). Practices that make you more valuable to an organization.
- helps you become a better-informed consumer and investor
- helps you become a more influential community member. Learn of business that align with your values.
For a business to be successful?
Material - include raw materials used in manufacturing, buildings, and machinery.
Human - are people who provide labour businesses for wages.
Financial - the money required to pay employees, purchase, and keep it operating.
Informational - Tells how effectively the other 3 resources are being combined and used.
Business Impact Concerns
Health and safety risks - working in a production varmint, the use of potentially unsafe materials in manufacturing and unsafe product designs.
Environmental Damage - When companies do not focus on making resources sustainable, it can cause irreversible damage to the air in the land. Causing negative impacts on the health of citizens in the community.
Social Disruption - when a company is successful it can damage already existing businesses and cause changes in communities in unwanted ways. Some employees don’t benefit from its success due to low pay and limited benefits. Businesses failing can throw thousands of people out of work, bringing hardships to communities.
5 factors of business environment: that affect its success or failure
Economic factors - economic slowdowns or upturns that affect everything.
- during downturn Employment rate increases, in uptown it decreases
- downturn means spending decreases for discretionary items, in upturn it increases.
- downturn means government receives less tax revenue, which impacts its spending or debt levels.
Competitive Factors - Business owners must figure out what makes their business successful high level of competition forces companies to focus on strategies such as cost cutting, development of new products, and/or increased marketing and branding efforts.
Global Factors - Businesses not only compete with local or national businesses but with businesses across the world.
Technology Factors - innovations in tech has changed how companies produce and distribute products. It allows companies to interact with millions of people easily, making marketing easier.
Social Factors - Changes in the demographics of our population (age, gender, ethnicity) Will influence what products companies offer and how they operate their business
Capitalism
An economic system in which individuals own and operate the majority of businesses that provide goods and services
Free market economy
Economic system in which businesses and individuals decide what to produce and buy in the market determines prices and quantities sold
Socialism
Economic system in which the key industries are owned and controlled by government
Communism
Economic system where all property and profits are owned by government, which then decides what goods and services will be produced.
Perfect competition
The market situation in which there are many buyers and sellers of a product, and no single buyer or seller is powerful enough to affect the price of that product.
Equilibrium price
The price at which the quantity demanded is exactly equal to the quantity supplied.
Monopolistic competition
A market situation in which there are many buyers along a relatively large number of sellers that differentiate their products from Competitor’s products
Oligopoly
The market or industry in which there are few sellers
Monopoly
A market or industry with only one seller and barriers to keep other companies from entering the industry
Expansion
Economy grows
Contraction
Economy shrinks
Recession
Economy shrinks 2 quarters in a row
- People lose jobs, overall drop in household income
Depression
Severe recession (last longer than normal) - Larger decline in business activity compared to regular recession
Trough
When a country’s economy bottoms out. A country’s production and employment reach low points.
Gross domestic product
The total value of all goods and services produced by all people within the boundaries of a country during a one year.
Unemployment rate
The percentage of a country’s labour force unemployed at any time; calculated as the number of unemployed divided by the number of people currently in labour force.
Consumer price index
A monthly index that measures the changes in the prices of fixed baskets goods purchased by a typical consumer in an urban area
Deflation
And economics statistic that tracks like the decrease in prices of goods and services over a period of time
Benefits of a business to society
Offering valuable goods and services.
Providing employment.
Improving quality of life.
4 phases of the Business cycle
Peak, contraction or recession, trough, expansion
How is equilibrium price determined
It is determined by the intersection of the demand and supply curves.
Entrepreneur
Person who organizes and operates a business, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.
Intrapreneur
Boys who bring an entrepreneurial spirit to the organizations
Entrepreneurial spirit
Being aware of an entrepreneurial activity, perceiving there are good opportunities
Qualities of entrepreneur
Confidence- ability to act decisively and leave the business
Energy- putting in long hours
Internal drive- desire to control on destiny, believe they can control destiny.
Vision- think for strategically and creatively. Effectively manage the details required to make their vision a reality.
Willingness to endure risk- success is not guaranteed. Those who are comfortable in failure are more likely to persevere and learn from their mistakes.
Advantages of a small business
- personal relationships with customers and employees
- ability to adapt quickly to change
- simplified record keeping
- independence
- ease and low cost of going in to a business
Disadvantages of a small business
- high risk of failure
- limited potential
- limited ability to raise capital and hire qualified talent
Why people start small businesses
- Culture of entrepreneurship. Idea is respected and supported. People celebrate and promote small businesses.
- Advances in technology. Technology is available to almost everyone. It’s easily accessible.
- Downsizing outsourcing. Downsize employees may realize they have the entrepreneurial spirit. Companies outsource they create opportunities for new and specialized companies to serve them
Small businesses advancing the Canadian economy
- Provide technical innovation. Produce more innovative technology/product than large companies
- provide employment. 8.2 million of private sector employees work for small businesses.
- provide competition. They challenge larger businesses to become more efficient and responsive to customer needs.
What is a Business plan?
A written document that describes the opportunity, goals and plans for a business. It is a carefully constructed guide for the person starting a business.
Communication tool. Potential investors decide if they want to invest or assist. Shows whether a business has potential to make profit.
A management tool. Helps track, monitor and evaluate progress. Allows comparison of growth projections against accomplishments.
A planning tool. Guides through the various phases of business. Plans help identify and avoid obstacles and establish alternatives.
4 essential questions a business plan should answer
- Executive summary. Overview of key aspects of the business plan. Include justification for why it will succeed.
- Product description And market analysis. Why is it unique? What problems it’s always in the market. Who is likely to buy it? Initial evidence of market demand.
- Marketing plan. Strategy for pricing, distributing and promoting the product.
- Operations plan. Description of how the product will be produced and delivered. Management team, personal needs, facility requirements, launch schedule.