Topic 3 - Forms of Business Ownership Flashcards
Types of business ownership
- Sole proprietorship
- Partnership
- Corporation
- Co-operative
Charecteristics
Sole Proprietorship
- Owned by one person, who performs most roles and owns everything.
- Owner gets all profits and takes all the losses – called unlimited liability.
- Easiest and least expensive to setup
- Easiest for tax purposes – income recorded under personal income.
List
Advantages of Sole Proprietorships
- Easiest and inexpensive to form
- Profits all go to the owner
- Direct control of the business
- No special taxation
- Ease of dissolution
List
Disadvantages of Sole Proprietorships
- Unlimited liability
- Difficulty raising capital
- Limited managerial expertise
- Trouble finding qualified employees
- Personal time commitment
- Unstable business life
- Losses are the owner’s responsibility
Charecteristics
Partnerships
- Two or more individuals share costs and responsibilities
- Terms of partnership recorded in the partnership agreement.
Define “Silent” partners
partners that usually will front a lot of capital, but do not want to participate in business decisions – but receive profits in return.
General Partnership
Types of Partnership
- All partners share in the management and profits.
- All partners have unlimited liability (can be held responsible for the other partner’s business-related debts)
Limited Partnership
Types of Partnership
- One or more general partners who have unlimited liability
- One or more limited partners whose liability is limited to the amount of investment.
Advantages of Partnership
- Ease of formation
- Availability of Capital
- Diversity of skills and expertise
- Flexibility
Disadvantages of Partnership
- Unlimited liability
- Potential for conflicts between partners
- Complexity of profit sharing
- Difficulty exiting or dissolving a partnership
Charecterisitcs
Descibe Corporations
A corporation is a legal entity subject to the laws of the state in which it is formed, where the right to operate as a business is issued by state charter. A corporation can own property, enter into contracts, sue and be sued, and engage in business operations under the terms of its charter. Unlike sole proprietorships and partnerships, corporations are taxable entities with a life separate from their owners, who are not personally liable for its debts.
Corporations have their own organizational structure with three important components:
- stockholders
- directors
- officers.
Stockholders (or shareholders)
The Corporate Structure
Ehe owners of a corporation, holding shares that provide them with certain rights, and receive profits in the form of dividends.
Board of Directors
The Corporate Structure
Elected by shareholders to govern and handle overall management of the corporation.
Officers
The Corporate Structure
Hired by the board, the officers of a corporation are its top management and include the president and CEO, vice presidents, and other top level officers responsible for achieving corporate goals and policies.