Types of Small Businesses
A business can be defined as any entity or organized body having business activities. These activities include production of tangible assets such as plants, machinery, and vehicles; acquisition of raw materials and the utilization of space for the operation and maintenance of these assets; sales and transfer of payments and receipts; establishment of financial accounts; and changes in ownership of organizations. A business may also include the processes by which these entities are managed, marketed and operated. In addition, it can include the methods by which these activities are financed. As we will see below, the term “business” encompasses a wide range of activities.
One of the most common types of businesses is the corporation. A corporation is organized as a legal entity by the government. Most nations require corporations to register in order to operate. Corporations are considered to be separate legal entities from the owners who are called the “corporators”. A company may be directly held by the public or may be indirectly owned by a third party, such as by a partnership or a limited liability company.
Unlike a partnership, a corporation does not have unlimited rights to the assets of the owners. Instead, like a partnership, it has limited rights to its productive assets and is liable for its own debts and obligations. It is also obliged to provide regular profits to its shareholders. Unlike a partnership, a corporation may issue shares and can divide the earnings between its owners. A limited liability company is also known as a “pass-through” business because it is formed with one or more corporate persons as the sole owners of the business. This means that the corporation is not obliged to pay taxes on its profits since they are not the ones giving the money out.
Some of the common forms of businesses are the partnership, the limited liability company, the corporation, and the sole proprietor. All these have their own advantages and disadvantages. The main article in this article covers the main types of businesses and their purposes. But, for those who would like to learn more about the other three articles, they are available on the resource links below.
A partnership is formed by more than one person, called the partners. Partnerships are often incorporated as a corporation. When forming a partnership, one partner usually owns all of the stocks of the corporation while the others share equally in the profits of the corporation. This type of business is classified as a publicly held corporation. A limited liability company is formed the same way – by more than one person, called the members, who own shares of the stock of the corporation, and have the right to receive dividends.
One of the most famous types of businesses is the limited liability company or a “C” corporation. It is a type of partnership where one person or only one shareholder to form the C corporation. A C corporation is not obliged to make any regular profits unless the corporation member makes the necessary investments required by the law. A share capital requirement is not present in a C corporation. There are different types of business structure available to a person wishing to open a small business.