1. Business Essentials: Unit 3 The U.S. Business Environment

2. Discussion Points Concept of Business and Profit
External Environments of Business
Factors of Production
Economics of Market Systems

3. What is a Business?
An enterprise owned by one or more people whose activities is to provide goods and services to consumers.
A business can be operated for profit or not-for-profit.

4. Types of Businesses Industrial Businesses
Produce goods used by other businesses
Examples: Mining companies, agricultural producers
Service Businesses
Engaged in marketing, finance, and in providing services to consumers
Examples: Banks, retailers, and mobile phone companies

5. Profit – Making Money$
Profit is the difference between earned income and costs.
Profit is one indicator of an organizations ability to sustain.
Organizations use profit to invest back into their business

6. External Environments of Business
Economic Environment
Socio-Cultural Environment
Political-Legal Environment
Global Business Environment
Domestic Environment
Technological Environment

7. Technological Environment
Includes all the ways by which firms create value for their constituents.
Includes human knowledge, work methods, physical equipment, electronics and telecommunications, and various processing systems.

8. Political-Legal Environment
Reflects the relationship between business and government.
Legal system defines in part what an organization can and cannot do.

9. Domestic Business Environment
Environment in which a firm conducts its operations and derives its revenues.
Businesses seeks to be close to their customers and build strong relationships with their suppliers.
Businesses distinguishes themselves from competitors.

10. Global Business Environment
International forces that affects a business.
General factors affecting global environment
International trade agreements
International economic conditions
Political unrest

11. Socio-Cultural Environment
Includes the customs, mores, values and demographic characteristics of the society in which organization operates.
Determines the goods and services and standards of business conduct.

12. Economic Environment
Relevant conditions that exist in the economic system in which a company operates.
An economic system is a major component of a nation’s economic environment.

13. Factors of Production Four basic inputs an economic system requires:
Natural Resources All production inputs that are useful in their natural state.
Capital Technology, tools, information, and physical facilities.
Human Resources Anyone who works, including the CEO and a self-employed mechanic.
Entrepreneurship Willingness to take risks to create and operate a business.

14. Supply and Demand
Decisions about what to buy and sell are determined by the forces of supply and demand.
Demand is the willingness and ability of buyers to purchase a good or service.
Supply is the willingness and ability of producers to offer a good or service for sale.

15. Factors Driving Demand
Demand curve shows the amount of a product buyers will purchase at different prices. Quantity increases as price decreases.
Economists distinguish between changes in the quantity demanded at various prices and a true shift in the demand curve.

16. Factors Driving Supply
A supply curve shows the relationship between different prices and the quantities that sellers will offer for sale, regardless of demand.
Movement along the supply curve is the opposite of movement along the demand curve.
The factors of production play a central role in determining the overall supply of goods and services.

17. Key Terms business capital demand demand curve
domestic business environment
economic environment
entrepreneur
global business environment
information resources
labor
physical resources
political-legal environment
sociocultural environment
supply
supply curve
technological environment