1. 3.06B Select form of business ownership
3.00 Acquire knowledge of business ownership to establish & continue business operations
3.06B Select form of business ownership

2. Objectives
Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of the most common types of business ownership.

3. Three basic forms of business ownership
Your choice depends on your needs & goals
Sole proprietorship
Partnership
Corporation

4. Sole proprietorship
A business owned and operated by one person.

5. Advantages of sole proprietorships
Easy and inexpensive to create.
Unless you need certification or local permits, government intervention is minimal
Owner makes all business decisions & has control over all aspects of the business.
Flexibility in scheduling to meet owner’s needs

6. Advantages of sole proprietorships cont.
Owner receives all profits.
Privacy – owner is the only one who knows details of the business
Secret ideas, formulas, or recipes
Ability to act quickly in making decisions – no checking with others

7. Advantages of sole proprietorships cont.
Tax advantages
Business itself pays no taxes
Taxes are paid as personal income of owner which is usually lower than corporate taxes
Many business expenses are deductible
Easy to close/dissolve
Pay employees and creditors
Sell your equipment
Notify customers if possible

8. Disadvantages of sole proprietorships
Owner has unlimited liability for all debts and actions of the business.
Unlimited liability: The debts of the business may be paid from the personal assets of the owner.
If you cannot pay business debt with business income, bill collectors can take your personal assets (home, car)
Difficult to raise capital.
Banks/lenders consider sole proprietorships to be a high- risk investment
Needs include paying employees, purchasing equipment & inventory, & running the business
Expansions can be delayed or halted causing you to lose business to your competition

9. Disadvantages of sole proprietorships
Sole proprietorship is limited by his/her skills and abilities.
Uncertain life
You are “it” – illness or injury that prevents you from working may cause you to close
Bankruptcy or incarceration will dissolve your business
The death of the owner automatically dissolves the business.

10. Partnership
A form of business ownership in which two or more people share the assets, liabilities, and profits.

11. Advantages of partnerships
Fairly easy & inexpensive to start
May pay attorney if you develop a partnership agreement
Combined resources
Team with partners with different skills, experience, contacts, & capital
Sharing responsibilities makes business run more efficiently & smoothly
Increase the amount of capital to run the business. Lenders may be more willing to lend or extend credit
Decreased Competition
Combining like businesses will decrease or eliminate competition

12. Advantages of partnerships cont.
Reduced expenses
When two or more businesses combine expenses are no longer being duplicated
Ex. promotion, office space, supplies, utilities
Business losses are shared by all partners.
The partnership does not pay income tax on profits.
Each partner pays income tax on her/his individual share of the profit

13. Disadvantages of partnerships
Unlimited liability
Each owner in a general partnership has unlimited liability.
Each partner can lose personal assets to pay business debt
In a limited partnership, the liability is limited to the amount invested in the business
Limited Capital
Although partners may bring more capital to the business than sole proprietors, it is still limited to what each can contribute
Some lenders may still be reluctant to lend large amounts
Difficulty in ending
Withdrawing can be complicated if there is no written partnership agreement
By law profits must be divided equally if no agreement

14. Disadvantages of partnerships cont.
Partnerships may lead to disagreements.
May disagree on business goals, finances, responsibilities, & division of profits
Can affect the efficiency of the business, morale of employees, & success or failure of the venture
Developing a detailed partnership agreement often helps resolve the conflict because it addresses many issues that cause potential disagreements
In 1916, the U.S. government developed the Uniform Partnership Act (updated in 1997) which serves as a guide for legally formulating a general partnership agreement
A limited partnership is more formal & specific in nature & is governed by the Uniform Limited Partnership Act (ULPA)

15. Disadvantages of partnerships cont.
Uncertain life/Transferability
Unless specified in a detailed partnership agreement, bankruptcy, death & the withdrawal or admittance of a new partner dissolves the partnership
Remaining partners may start a new partnership if they have the money to buy the former partner’s share

16. Corporation
A business that is chartered by a state and legally operates apart from its owners.
Owned by stockholders who have purchased units or shares of the company

17. Types of corporations
C-corporation: The most common form of corporation. It protects the entrepreneur from being personally sued for the actions and debts of the corporation
Subchapter S corporation: A corporation that is taxed like a sole proprietorship or partnership.
Nonprofit corporation: Legal entities that make money for reasons other than the owner’s profit Limited Liability Company (LLC): A form of business ownership that provides limited liability and tax advantages.

18. Advantages of corporations
Financial Power
Can raise money quickly by issuing shares of stock.
Because it is closely regulated by the government, financial institutions are more willing to lend larger amounts of capital
Limited Liability
Owners are liable only up to the amount of their investments. Personal assets cannot be used to pay business debt
Unlimited life
May exist indefinitely
The death or withdrawal of an owner/stockholder does not affect the life span of the corporation

19. Advantages of corporations cont.
Easy-to-transfer ownership
Ownership simply transferred by selling stock to someone else
New stock certificate is issued in the name of new stockholder. No permission is required by others
The business can hire experts to professionally manage each aspect of the business.
Can result in a more efficiently run organization

20. Disadvantages of corporations
Difficulty in forming & operating
Legal assistance is needed to start a corporation
Lawyer fees can be very expensive
Must request approval from the State & register the Articles of Incorporation
Decisions about value & class of stock & shareholder voting rights
Corporations are subject to more government regulations than partnerships or sole proprietorships.
Reporting & taxation requirements vary from state to state
Required to keep detailed reports for stockholders & to keep them informed of certain corporate transactions, meetings, & voting rights
New charter must be approved if corporate activities change

21. Disadvantages of corporations
Dual taxation
Corporation is taxed on profits from the company
Shareholders are taxed on the dividends they earn on their investments
Separate owners & managers
Stockholders are not generally involved in the day-to-day operation of the corporation
Stockholders form a board of directors to make decisions about the business & managers carry out these decisions
Separation of ownership & management provides more opportunity for irregularities or misunderstandings

22. Hybrid forms of Business Ownership
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
Both combine various elements of sole proprietorships, partnerships, & corporations into one package

23. Advantages of Hybrid Businesses
Cost to start & operate
Generally less expensive than corporations
No dual taxation - requires less paperwork & regulation
LLPs are designed for business professionals such as lawyers & doctors
Partners might need to carry a required amount of liability insurance
Limited Liability
Personal assets cannot be used to pay business debt
Owners (members) lose only what they have invested in the business if it fails

24. Advantages of Hybrid Businesses cont.
Taxation
LLCs & LLPs pay taxes on personal income-tax returns
Since they are not considered separate entities (like corporations) they are not subject to dual taxation
Combined resources
Often have more owners & tend to have a wider pool of financial resources, skills, talents, & contacts
Life span
Hybrids are required to dissolve after a specific time period
Depending on the state registered in, usually between 30 & 40 years
Owners can decide if they want to reorganize or let it dissolve

25. Advantages of Hybrid Businesses cont.
Flexibility
Number of members permitted in LLCs are unlimited
Sub S corporations must have 100 or fewer shareholders
Most states require only one member to establish a business as a hybrid
Members are permitted to run the company or to allow others to manage it
Membership changes do not automatically dissolve the company

26. Disadvantages of hybrids
Requirements & laws to establish & operate hybrids vary from state to state
Problematic for businesses that operate in more than one state
No universal guidelines from state to state
Verification of each state’s statutes can be costly