Business is the act of creating or purchasing and selling goods or earning money by producing or earning revenue from their sale. Simply stated, it’s “any undertaking or business entered into with a view to profit.” Business is a broad term that covers many different activities. It can be a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and more. In the United States alone, there are thousands of different types of business.
One of the most common forms of business is a sole proprietorship. This is where one person owns the entire business while another is called the partner. For instance, if you owned a sole proprietorship your main responsibilities would be to keep the books, keep accounts, and handle the day-to-day operations. A partner on the other hand, would have various responsibilities such as creating new goods or services, advertising the company, and receiving royalty payments for the goods or services created. If you owned a sole proprietorship, you would not be allowed to do many of the above mentioned things unless you were to use a hire company or some other type of for-profit intermediary.
Partnerships are another common form of business. Partnerships are formed by a group of people who are related by blood, marriage, or common law and share equal rights and responsibilities. The main advantage of a partnership versus a sole proprietorship is that there are no personal assets or liabilities for either party which makes them much safer to deal with. However, there are some key takeaways you should consider before forming a partnership.
If you do decide to form a partnership, one of the key takeaways is that the partners share in the success of the business. Therefore, it’s important to consult with lawyers before deciding whether or not to form a corporation or limited liability company. It’s also important to understand all of the laws governing the formation of a corporation or limited liability company and the status of these businesses within your state. Although most people will be unaware of these laws, you could end up paying large taxes on the profits of your partnership business. It’s always better to be prepared when something like this comes up.
The second key term you should be aware of relates to the definition of “normal profit”. Normal profit is defined as the amount of profit that would be earned on sales of your goods minus the amount of money invested in production. On a yearly basis, normal profit should not exceed six percent of your business’s revenue. If your firm sells goods and services at a discount, then you may be able to earn more profit.
The third key term to know is that your profits are determined according to the fair market value of your firm’s products and services at a specific point in time. Fair market value is a market price that would be fair to all investors assuming that all stakeholders would have purchased the goods or services at the same price. Stakeholders include purchasers, suppliers, tax authorities and employees. The fair market value of your firm’s products and services changes over time because new data and information may become available that causes an increase or decrease in the value of your firm. Knowing these key terms will give you greater understanding of what these factors mean to your business.