Business Organization Structure
Starting a business is a major step and can in some cases be very risky. Furthermore, there are a number of important factors that should be considered when starting a business. One of the most fundamental factors involved in starting a business is determining what business entity to operate the business under. Choosing a business entity that is not aligned with your particular business model can in many cases lead to several problems that can be potentially very costly. The four most common business entities are a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, and a corporation. Knowing which business entity is best for your new business venture can determine the future success of your company.
Sole Proprietorship
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As long as you are the only owner, this status automatically comes from your business activities” (Starting & managing (n.d.). However, just like any other business you would still need to obtain licenses and permits necessary for operating your particular business. Starting a sole proprietorship can be extremely time consuming as you the owner are responsible for all operations and functions of the business including creating a business plan, obtaining licenses and permits, hiring, establishing plans for development and growth and much more. Depending on the type of business your looking to start you may need to obtain patents and trademarks to protect your business. “Sole proprietors need to comply with licensing requirements in the states in which they 're doing business, as well as local regulations and zoning ordinances. The paperwork and formalities, however, are substantially less than those of corporations, allowing sole proprietors to open a business quickly and with relative ease - from a bureaucratic standpoint” (AllBusiness.com, 2007). Personal liability for owners The owner of a sole proprietorship business has unlimited personal liability to the company and is responsible for all debts and obligations incurred on the business’s behalf. “Because there is no legal separation between you and your business, you can be held personally liable for the
| In a sole proprietorship, the business and single owner are one in the same. A single owner makes all decisions with regard to the business and the single owner retains all profits earned by the business. The single owner is also responsible/liable for all debts and obligations of the business on a personal level.
Many believe that liability is a biggest issue in a general partnership than in a sole proprietorship. The owners of the company are still fully liable for any debts the company may accrue as well as the liability for any lawsuits that may be brought against the company. However, the bigger issue in a partnership is that now each partner can be liable for the other partner’s actions. If one partner is sued for malpractice, the other partner may suffer because of it.
Sole Proprietorship Sole proprietorship is the most common form of business in the United States. It is a relatively simple way for an individual to start a business since legal costs and business requirements are minimal, and the owner has complete control over the business. Though a sole proprietor is not responsible for any corporate tax payments, the owner is responsible for taxes incurred on the income generated from the business as part of his or her personal income tax payments, and personally shoulders any other risks or obligations. A sole proprietor may also choose to file their business under a fictitious business name or a DBA (doing business as), allowing him or her to operate and market the business under a more typical
Liability- This falls directly on the owner. All debts, liabilities and losses fall on the owner. The owner's assets can be used to alleviate the business's debt.
A sole proprietorship is a form of business that is owned by a single individual. • Liability – Due to the lack of legal distinction between the owner and the business, the owner is fully responsible and liable for all debts that the business incurs in the same manner that an individual is fully responsible and liable for all debts that they incur. There is no legal distinction between the assets of the owner of the sole proprietorship and the business; this means that creditors have the ability to come after the owner’s business and personal material assets. Income Taxes – Since the business is the same as the owner of the sole proprietorship, all profits or losses from the business are filed by the
Liability: The owner/operator of a Sole Proprietorship is subject to full and unlimited financial liability for the business. The owner and the company are legally the same entity. The company’s assets are legally the same as the owner’s personal assets.
Liability – There are several liability within sole proprietorship. As the owner you are a
The company is geographically located in most major united states locations. It employs a hierarchal organizational design. One of the contributing factors to its success is the company’s success in providing a dining experience for its customers that excel in choices, price, customer service, and serving size. The company is known world-wide for its delicious cheesecakes with the key factor being the variety.
LIABILITY – The owner is held responsible for all debts and expenses accrued by the company via the concept of unlimited liability. If the expenses and debts aren’t satisfied, the owner of the business can be sued for breach of contract.
Sole Proprietorship: The word proprietorship can sound intimidating. It is important to remember that most things are simplified with knowledge. If your business is a sole proprietorship then you as an individual are the owner and operator of that business. This means the sole proprietor handles everything from setting up
A proprietorship is the most basic business entity (Dewhurst, 2014), in which an owner receives all profits and is legally liable for the obligations related to the business. It is the easiest structure to set-up, register and maintain, and additional tax incomes are not legally separated from the person. Its biggest disadvantage is that the personal property of the owner are not legally protected in case of financial obligations or company debts (Pakroo, 2004).
After the creation of a business plan, the next step to operating a business is the selection of an appropriate business structure. Different legal forms of business ownerships affect different managerial and financial factors from the business names to the tax obligations (Gregory, n.d.). The most common forms are sole proprietorship, partnership, cooperatives, and corporations. There are different types of corporations in the business world, but the two most general corporation types are S Corporation and Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Ferrell et al., 2013). The sole proprietorship is the easiest and most basic form of business ownership. It is owned and run by one individual, which is the proprietor. The individual is entitled to all profits and is responsible for all the business’s
Is the most common business type, where the business is operated and owned by a single individual. In this type of business, the sole proprietor provides capital, does not share profit or loss and runs the business alone. As such, the business and the owner are indistinguishable for tax and legal purposes (Dlabay, 2011). To differentiate this business from other business types, a sole proprietorship is discussed under the following characteristics.
But with advantages, there are also disadvantages of owning your own business. Five disadvantages of a sole proprietorship are: 1) The owner is personally liable for all debts and incurs all losses. The sole proprietor is responsible for all debts that the company owes. The owner takes all losses. There are no other owners to
A sole proprietorship is a business that has a single owner who is responsible for making decisions for the company. The costs are minimal it only requires a business name fictitious, a bank account and a commercial license. The exclusive property does not have double taxes on profits, such as in other business structures as in corporations. All taxes are reported in the statement of the individual owner. The owner has unlimited liability for the business and vice versa because legally there is no difference between the owner and his business.