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TOPIC 1: THE NATURE OF BUSINESS
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1.1 The Role of Businesses
● Business is the centre of the Australian economic system. It is the provider of employment, the
source of employment, the source of goods and services, and outlet for innovation and
entrepreneurial skill, and is the foundation of the choice and high standards of living that we
enjoy today.
● Businesses exist to satisfy needs and wants of individuals or groups.
- They do this by transforming resources into products
● Products may be tangible (goods) or intangible (services)
● Entrepreneurs are people who take risk in combining resources to produce a product
- They are often described as creative and innovative
● Making the most profit is a goal for most businesses (except non- profit & not-for profit
organisations
● The income that nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations generate is used differently.
- Nonprofit organizations return their income back to the organization if they generate
extra income.
- Not-for-profits use their excess money to pay their members who work for them.
- Nonprofits are tax exempt or charitable, meaning they do not pay income tax on the
money that they receive for their organization. They can operate in religious, scientific,
research, or educational settings.
● Businesses:
○ Provide Goods and services
○ Provide employment
○ Supply needs and wants of society
○ Provide the government with taxation revenue
○ Engage in research and development
○ Develop production techniques (business is a catalyst in progression)
○ Contribute to the quality of life
○ Innovate and contribute to change
○ Develop entrepreneurs
○ Help their owners achieve personal goals
○ Provide income for workers
○ Provide a career path
● Capital outlet, also known as fixed assets, may include machinery, land, facilities, or other
business necessities that are not expended during normal use
● Venture capital is financing that investors provide to startup companies and small businesses
that are believed to have long-term growth potential. Venture capital generally comes from
well-off investors, investment banks and any other financial institutions
○ As an investor, you expect to receive a rate of return (hopefully revenue)
○ As a venture capitalist, you own a percentage of the business
○ A capital outlay is money a company spends to either purchase a fixed asset or to
extend its useful life. They are also known as capital expenditures or just “capex”
● The largest asset of a business is the employees.
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○ https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/26/richard-branson-on-success-this-has-been-my-
greatest-asset.html
● Purpose of a business
○ Satisfy consumer needs and wants
○ Business create and distribute goods and services for profit
○ A business works through the interaction of the marketplace, the process of production
and the availability of finance
○ Businesses need other business to operate
● Business goals generally fall into two types
○ Financial (quantitative)
○ Qualitative
● Revenue: excess money made
● Profit: total money made
○ Profit = revenue (less) T.costs
● Monopoly: a business or two controlling the share market → illegal in Australia
○ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/valley-of-the-boom/
● Qualitative goals include:
○ Provide employment
○ Be of service to society
○ Prevent social costs (i.e. pollution)
● Some financial goals include
○ Make a return on investment
○ Repay loans
○ Increase sales revenue
○ Increase market share
○ Diversify to decrease risk
○ Long term survival in the market
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QUESTIONS
- Research what competitors are doing and see if you can incorporate that into your business
- Budgeting (cut back)
- Advertisements/promotions
- Conduct surveys and talk to customers
- online/social media presence/ be a proactive business person
- Don't be afraid of investing in long-term solutions
- The act of being creative and introducing new goods and services
Discuss how business contributes to the overall quality of life for society.
- They satisfy needs and wants of consumers, and by doing that, they receive incentive to achieve
their own needs and wants
● By size
● By industrial category
● By economic sector
● By legal structure
INDUSTRIAL SECTORS
● Agriculture
● Mining
● Medical
● Construction
● Financial services
● Fisheries
SIZES OF BUSINESSES
● Micro
● Small
● Medium
● Large
● Primary
● Secondary
● Tertiary
● Quaternary
● Quinary
SOLE TRADER
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PARTNERSHIP
COMPANIES
○ Become incorporated
○ Limited liability: they are separate legal entities to their owners
○ Can sue and be sued in their own legal name
○ Do not cease to exist if one of the owners dies
○ Have perpetual succession
○ Are regulated by ASIC (Australian Security Industry Commission)
○ Use the Cth Corporations Act 1989 and the Cth Company Law Review Act 1998 to
govern them
○ Exist in many different types such as:
■ Proprietary companies
■ Public companies
■ No liability companies
■ Companies limited by guarantee
PRIVATE COMPANIES
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PUBLIC COMPANIES
Co-ops are:
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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS ENTERPRISES
● The public sector has created businesses which act in the interests of the community
● These businesses are known as Government Business Enterprises (GBE)
● Examples include the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission)
● There are generally moves to decrease the number of GBE’s by selling them to the private sector
(privatisation)
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DEFINITIONS
● Business culture: Corporate culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a
company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions.
● Competing brands: Brand Competition can be defined as the rivalry between the companies
offering the similar line of products or services in the same target market and to the same target
audience with the goal to have the higher market share, increased revenues, huge profits, and
growth as compared to the contemporary brand at the marketplace.
● Ease of entry: Industries vary with respect to the ease with which new sellers can enter them.
The barriers to entry consist of the advantages that sellers already established in an industry
have over the potential entrant.
● Economic growth: an increase in the amount of goods and services produced per head of the
population over a period of time.
● E-tailing: E-tailing (less frequently: etailing) is the selling of retail goods on the Internet.
● External influence: Outside influences that can impact a business. Various external factors can
impact the ability of a business or investment to achieve its strategic goals and objectives.
● Global Financial Crisis: A global financial crisis is a difficult business environment to succeed in
since potential consumers tend to reduce their purchases of goods and services until the
economic situation improves.
● GDP: Gross Domestic Product
● Oligopoly: a state of limited competition, in which a market is shared by a small number of
producers or sellers.
● Stakeholders: the people/ groups of people involved in a business strategy or business goal.
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HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE BUSINESSES BY TYPE
● SOLE TRADER
○ BRUCE MALOUF, LAWYER
● PARTNERSHIP
○ MALOUF & PARTNERS, LAWYERS
● PRIVATE CO
○ MALOUF LAWYERS PTY LTD
● PUBLIC CO
○ MALOUF LAWYERS LTD
● Primary business
○ Farming, fishing
● Secondary business
○ Trade
● Tertiary business
○ Business professionals
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1.3 The Business Environment
The business environment is divided into 2 sub-categories:
● External influences
○ The external business environment consists of those sectors which are outside the
business’ control
● Internal influence
○ Within the business’ control
location economic
products financial
resources social
management legal
customers political
Competitors institutional
creditors technological
S (STRENGTH) W (WEAKNESS)
INTERNAL INTERNAL
O (OPPORTUNITY) T (THREATS)
EXTERNAL EXTERNAL
● Businesses have less direct control over the influences in the external business environment
compared to the internal business environment due to other businesses/ competitors
contributing to these factors.
● The global financial crisis has impacted Australian business environment in that it brought about
a credit squeeze that increased the cost of funds for domestic financial institutions in Australia
● One geographical challenge used to be that Australia’s location was a problem due to the
“tyranny of distance” . However, the movement away from traditional industries such as
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manufacturing in Australia has mean that transporting goods long distances is now less of an
issue, as more Australian businesses embrace newer investment opportunities in exporting
services such as tourism and education.
● One social change that has influenced businesses is paid parental leave, introduced in 2011
● The most notable legal changes are in industrial relations laws.
○ For example, the Occupational Health and Safety legislation is an attempt to redress the
high incidence of workplace injuries.
● Political influences on business can range from legislative aspects that direct many business
actions as illustrated in the changes to workplace relations
○ The Liberal National Party could be said to endorse the views of business that the ALP
aligns itself more with the concerns of workers, especially organised labour
External Influences
● ECONOMIC INFLUENCES
○ Inflation
○ Interest rates
○ Available credit
○ Tax
○ Tariffs
■ Are taxes on imported goods that are in direct competition with domestic goods
○ Exchange rates
○ The economic cycle
● POLITICAL INFLUENCES
○ Changing laws
○ Deregulation
○ GBE’s
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○ Government budgets
○ Subsidies
● TECHNOLOGICAL
○ New products
○ New machinery
○ Research and development
○ Innovations
○ Computerisation
● SOCIAL INFLUENCES
○ Changing work values
○ Quality of the environment
■ Carbon footprint or environmental footprint
■ Karona (beer company) collects its bottled and gives refunds- also cleans
rubbish off beaches
■ Restaurants have grease traps that get collected and get repurposed as diesel
product (fuel)
○ Immigration
■ Lyca (Italian company)
■ Chinatown
○ Religious changes
○ Changing education
■ More people are seeking education
■ Difficult to fool customers
○ Changing culture
● COMPETITORS
○ What are the competitor’s products?
○ How many competitors are there?
○ How strong is the competition?
○ How good is their marketing?
○ What % of the market share does each competitor have?
○ Is that competition local or international?
● CUSTOMERS
○ What are their buying patterns
○ What are their buying needs
■ Convenience
● SUPPLIERS
○ Compare prices
○ Compare quality
○ What is their reputation?
○ Are they flexible?
● LABOUR
○ What is staff availability
○ What are their skills?
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○ How old are they?
■ No retirement age- older people are still in jobs → no jobs for young people→
live abroad
○ What is the role of unions in the business?
○ Training, development, promotion
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1.4 STAKEHOLDERS
● A stakeholder is an individual, group or organisation with a special interest in the operation or
performance of a business
● A business has a responsibility to its stakeholders
● Stakeholders include:
○ The owners
○ Customers
○ The community
○ Employees
○ Management
○ Suppliers
○ Creditors
○ The government
○ Competitors
● Stakeholders are crucial to any business structure as they are directly affected by how the
business functions. Unlike shareholders, stakeholders may not have a financially vested interest
in the business, but also possibly a
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1.5 BUSINESS GROWTH AND BUSINESS DECLINE
FEATURES OF THE MATURITY STAGE
● There will be more competition within the market and a reduced market share
● There will be more price competition
● Sales and profits level off
● The market experience product saturation
● The business focuses on maintaining profit levels
● Things that could happen during maturity stage:
○ Complacency
○ Competition
○ Change in societal values
● There are three general possibilities for a business in the post maturity stage:
○ The business could remain in a steady state
○ The business could experience renewal
○ The business could experience a decline
○ The business could continue to exist in a steady state where is focuses on service
POSTMATURITY- RENEWAL
● Or, the business could experience renewal where is expands and new products and services are
introduced
POSTMATURING- DECLINE
● Or, the business enters its decline, where its products become obsolete, profits fall and there is
poor cash flow
● The final business phase could be cessation
WHAT IS CESSATION?
● The reasons for business failure may be internal or external to the business
● Internal factors:
○ Poor management
○ Inadequate cash
○ Inadequate cash and debt recovery
○ Weak location
● External factors:
○ Red tape and government bureaucracy
■ Processes and forms and applications
■ Government administration is called “red tape”
○ Excessive competition
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○ Natural disasters
VOLUNTARY CESSATION
INVOLUNTARY CESSATION
● A sole trader ceases to exist when the owner dies or decides to finish up all operations and pay
all their debts
PARTNERSHIP CESSATION
● A partnership is ended when the partners choose to end their partnership due to disagreements
or personal choices
● Partners are guided in ending their business by one of two documents
○ Partnership agreement
○ The partnership Act
● If there is no partnership agreement, partnerships must follow the guidelines in the Partnership
Act
DISSOLVING A PARTNERSHIP
COMPANY CESSATION
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DISCUSSION
HOUSES
GENTRIFICATION
- YOUR REVENUE
- YOUR PROFIT
- YOUR CUSTOMERS
- ETC.
● Sell your business- you earn profit and you can end the business
DISCUSSION; DIVERSIFICATION
● When a business purchases another business and integrates it into their business
● Eg. surfing companies purchasing other companies (Ripcurl, Billabong)
○ Becomes a mass market
○ Diversifying into other markets
● Over Diversification: occurs when a business expand into other markets excessively and it's too
much to handle basically
● The internet is powered by 80% fossil fuels and is only 20% efficient
○ The way you power your business affects your business
○ Being ecologically sensitive is crucial to a successful business
● Starting a business will cost a lot of money anyways, so it is a good idea to invest in renewable
resources that will positively impact your business in the long run
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● When starting a business, it is not ideal to purchase machinery and assets, rather you should
lease such items, in the case that the business does not succeed/ progress
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TED TALK- HOW GREAT LEADERS INSPIRE ACTION BY
SIMON SINEK
● THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
○ WHY
○ HOW
○ WHAT
● PEOPLE DON’T BUY WHAT YOU DO- THEY BUY WHY YOU DO IT
● THE GOAL IS TO DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE
● SUCCESS IS THROUGH BELIEF- NOT PURSUIT OF MONEY
● THE LAW OF DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION
● WHAT YOU DO PROVES WHAT YOU BELIEVE
● IF YOU’RE NOT PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO, YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE
PASSIONATE ABOUT BUYING IT
○ ENTREPRENEURSHIP
● FAMOUS FAILURE
○ TiVo- highest quality product on the market
■ Market conditions were great
■ Never made money
■ Told customers what they had
● used scare tactics to generate sale
● Leaders hold positions of power or authority
● Those who lead inspire
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1.6 ETHICAL BUSINESS BEHAVIOUR
● Business has responsibilities beyond fulfilling a prime function and making profits
● These ethical responsibilities are about down the right things for all stakeholders
● Mission statements frequently indicate the ethics of a business
● Within the internal business environment there are ethical responsibilities to:
○ Owners
○ Shareholders: returns on investment, keeping business operating, acting honestly
○ Managers- acknowledging the work of the team, encourage promotion, eliminate
discrimination, prevent unethical work behaviour
○ Employees- to motivate, provide WHS, pay appropriate wages and leave, maintain the
best employees
● Ethical business behaviours are directed towards:
○ Customers
■ Goods and services must comply with the law
● Eg. Trade Practices Laws and Sale of Goods Laws.
○ Suppliers:
■ Delaying the payments of suppliers is unethical
○ Government
■ Business must comply with tax, environmental, consumer, company, credit,
contracts and WHS laws
○ The environment
■ Businesses must decrease pollution and other social costs associated with their
enterprise
■ It includes recognition of harm to the health of people and the natural
environment
○ Society
■ Business must maintain its reputation as members of the society
● REPUTATION IS MAINTAINED BY INTEGRATING THE BUSINESS IN
SOCIETY
■ It is an employer, a leader and a contributor to environmental protection
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ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY IN BUSINESS ASSIGNMENT
● ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ARE VERY PREVALENT
● Woolworths replaced plastic bags with plastic bags that cost money
○ Underestimated the education of the Australian customer on social issues
○ Impractical
● Backfired as no one was hitting the carbon tax limit to be taxed due to so many companies
existed
DISCUSSION: BIODIESEL
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