Unit 1 (Introduction To Business) Flashcards
What is a business?
Business is an organisation by a individual or group of people in process of producing goods and services
What are inputs?
Capital
Enterprise
Land
Labour
Functions of a business?
Operations
Finance
HR
Marketing
What is a business sector?
Business classified by area of production the business is in
Primary Sector?
Extraction or harvesting of raw materials
Secondary Sector?
Manufacturing or construction of products or services
Tertiary sector?
Providing services or products to the populationuar
Quartery Sector?
IT based activities to share knowledge
Chain of production?
Links all production sectors through a chain
Extraction -> Manufacturing -> Services -> Consumers
What is an entrepreneur
Entrepreneur is an individual who plans, organises and manages a business. Characteristics needed:
- Risk Taker
- Vision
- Profit
- Responsibility for Employees
- Failure may result in personal costs
Challenges for a business?
Production Problems
Poor Location
People management
Finance
Legalities
Marketing Problems
Unstable Customer Base
Cash Flow Problems
Opportunities to start a business?
Growth: Capital Growth (Profit)
Earnings: More Reward, Higher Salary
Inheritance: Pass down to future generations
Challenge: Wants to challenge themselves
Autonomy: Work for themselves, makes own rules and working hours
Security: Successful Job, more security, continued income and salary
Hobbies: Working as a hobby
Private vs Public Sector
Business categorized into public or private sectors
Private Sector?
Controlled by individuals and businesses aim to make a profit
Public sector?
Owned by government, aimed to provide essential goods and services to the public
What are social enterprises?
Businesses aimed to achieve social input alongside gaining a financial return
What is a for profit social enterprise and its aims?
Revenue generating enterprises with social objective at the core of their objectives.
Aims:
- More surplus of revenue, greater than costs to generate profit
- Uses surplus to add social benefits to society
What is a private sector for profit social enterprise and its aims?
Enterprises operating similar to traditional business, aims to make profit instead of donations to achieve social aims.
Aims:
- Produce goods and services to compete with similar businesses whilst also achieving their social goals.
What is a public sector for profit social enterprise?
Enterprises owned to create in a commercial way
Aims:
- Raise government revenue to provide essential services to society that may be insufficient if left solely in private sector
What is cooperatives and its aims?
Normal businesses that are owned by members, shareholders/employees are owners of the business
Aims:
- Creates value for members by operating in social way
- Employees have a vote to contribute to decision making
- Profit earned and shared between their members
Adv and Cons of Cooperatives?
ADV:
- Incentives to work
- Decision making power
- Social benefits
- Public support
Cons:
- Disincentives effects
- Limited sources of finance, less profit driven
- Slower decision making
- Limited promotional opportunities
What is an NGO
Operates in private sector to provide goods and services usually expressed in public sector but not operated by government. But NGO’s can secure grants from the government to support operations
What are hierarchy of objectives?
Objectives that provide business direction for the future:
Short Term ————————-> Long Term
Tactics -> Strategies -> Mission -> Vision
Very Specific ———————–> Broad Ideas
What are vision statements?
A vision statement articulates the long-term aspirations and future goals of the business
What are mission statements?
A mission statement outlines the fundamental purpose and reason for an organisation’s existence. It describes what the company does, who it serves, and how it provides value to its customers or stakeholders
What are common business objecitveS?
- Growth
- Profit maximisation
- Protecting shareholder value
- Ethical issues
What are importance of business objectives?
Objectives are goal or targets to achieve by business. Usually more specific and set in line with mission statements. Objectives important for:
- Measuring contorl
- To motivate
- To direct/lead
What is growth in business objectives?
Measured by increase in sales revenue by market share. Essential for survival to adapt to changing and competitive business conditions. Failure to grow results in declining competitiveness and threatens firms sustainability.
What is profit maximisation in business objectives?
Traditionally main objective for most private sector businesses. Provides incentives for entrepreneurs and shareholders when taking risk in running and managing a business.
What is protecting shareholder value in business objectives?
Earning profitable return for shareholders in sustainable way. Challenge for directors of firm to balance short term profits with investments in long term value of company. (Choosing amount between retained profits or dividends)
What is survival in business objectives?
To survive and make a profit for new businesses or to cut costs for struggling existing business to stay a float / survive.
What is ethical objectives in business objectives?
Morals are concerned to be right or wrong decisions from point of view of society. Main principles to guide decision making and strategy. Thus business ethics are actions of people and organisations and whether they are morally correct.
What are advantages of ethical practices?
- Improved corporate image (brand image)
- Improved customer loyalty
- Improve staff motivation
What are disadvantages of ethical practices?
- Compliance costs
- Lower profits
- Shareholders profits
- Subjective nature of business ethics (knowing what is actually wrong or right)
What are survival methods
- Surge pricing
- Destroyer pricing
What are strategies?
Strategies are plans of actions to achieve for the organisation. They are usually medium to long term and expressed significantly. Fulfilment of strategies will help achieve targets
Examples of strategies?
- Market standing: Extent of business’s prescence in industry
- Brand image and reputation: Consumer belief and reputation on the firm
- Market share: Measured by expressing sales revenue as a perception of the industry’s total sales
What are tactics?
Methods used to enact strategies from business. Short term and frequently generated. Fulfilment of tactics allow business to perform its strategies.
What is corporate social responsibility? (CSR)
- Conscience consideration of ethical and environmental practice for business’s activities
- Practice and policies will need regular review to adapt to evolving attitudes and expectations of different market/countries
- This can provide firms with competitive advantage as it helps increase brand image and longer term sustainability of society.