Business Fundamentals and Stakeholders

Business Fundamentals

• Success requires identifying needs and fulfilling them through a team, marketing, finance, and operations.
• Goods are tangible products like food and clothing.
• Services are intangible products like education and insurance.
• Entrepreneurs accept risks and operate businesses.
• Revenue is the total income generated from sales of goods and services.
• Profit is revenue minus expenses.
• Loss occurs when expenses exceed revenue.
• Risk involves potential loss of time and money.

Business Stakeholders

• Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have an interest in a business.
• Primary stakeholders are essential for business survival.
• Secondary stakeholders influence a business but are not essential for its survival.
• Offshoring involves sourcing parts of production outside the country.
• Outsourcing contracts with other companies for specific functions.
• Insourcing brings jobs back to the company's location.

Business Model

• A business model outlines the plan to generate revenue and manage costs.
• Key elements include:
  • Customer: defining the target audience.
  • Problem/Pains: identifying the customer's issues.
  • Solution/Key: offering a specific solution to the problem.
  • Value Proposition: describing the product or service.
  • Channels: outlining how to reach customers.
  • Revenue Stream: defining pricing and income generation.
  • Cost Structure: outlining expenses.
  • Key Metrics: measuring progress and customer benefits.
  • Unfair Advantage: showcasing unique offerings.

Understanding Business Environment

• The business environment comprises factors influencing business development.

Laws & Regulatory Environment

• Regulations are laws and rules that govern business operations.
• Governments can create a favorable environment for businesses by:
  • Ensuring freedom of ownership.
  • Enforcing contract laws.
  • Reducing corruption.

Economic Environment

• Economic factors like income, expenditures, and resources impact business costs.
• Businesses analyze economic indicators to understand consumer spending, employment levels, and productivity.
• Foreign exchange rates affect import/export costs.

Technological Environment

• Technological advancements influence productivity and impact business operations.
• Examples include the internet, social media, and wireless communications.

E-Commerce

• E-commerce enables online transactions and contributes to business growth.
• Types of e-commerce transactions:
  • Business-to-Consumer (B2C): businesses selling to individual customers.
  • Business-to-Business (B2B): businesses collaborating with other businesses.
  • Business-to-Government (B2G): businesses supplying goods and services to government agencies.
  • Government-to-Consumer (G2C): government agencies offering services to individuals.

Social Media Marketing

• Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram facilitate marketing efforts.

Competitive Environment

• Customer service, stakeholder recognition, and employee satisfaction are crucial aspects of competition.
• Empowerment involves granting employees decision-making authority.

Competitive Strategies

• Meeting customer needs, delivering faster service, and empowering employees contribute to competitiveness.

Social Environment

• Demography examines population characteristics and trends.
• Diversity management is essential in a multicultural society, like Canada.

The Aging Population

• Improved healthcare and health habits extend lifespans.

Global Environment

• Businesses operating globally face competition and opportunities for growth.
• Global changes impact various industries and create jobs.

Ecological Environment

• Environmental issues like climate change significantly impact businesses and society.

Different Economic Systems

• Capitalism encourages private ownership and profit generation.
• State capitalism blends free markets with government control.
• Communism features centralized government control of production and resources.
• Socialism emphasizes government ownership of basic businesses.
• Mixed economies combine elements of capitalism and socialism.

Capitalism: Free Markets

• The free market allows buyers and sellers to negotiate prices freely.
• Supply and demand determine equilibrium prices.

Economic Concept of Supply and Demand

• Supply represents the quantity produced at different prices.
• Demand reflects the quantity consumers are willing to purchase at different prices.
• The equilibrium point aligns supply and demand.
• Market prices are shaped by supply and demand.

Competition within Free Markets

• Different market structures include:
  • Perfect Competition: numerous sellers with no price control.
  • Monopolistic Competition: many sellers offering similar but differentiated products.
  • Oligopoly: a few dominant sellers in the market.
  • Monopoly: a single seller controlling the entire supply.

Explore the essential concepts of business, including the roles of stakeholders, the distinction between goods and services, and the financial dynamics of profit and loss. This quiz will test your understanding of business models and entrepreneurial risks, helping you grasp key components of successful business operations.