1.1.3
Types of Liability & Not-For-Profits
Unlimited vs Limited Liability
Unlimited vs Limited Liability
Businesses with unlimited liability (sole traders and partnerships) are much easier to set up because you don’t need to incorporate. The process of incorporating can be expensive and time consuming.


Can change legal structure
Can change legal structure
- As businesses grow, their legal structure often changes. This is because businesses often need more capital (money) to grow.
- Most private limited companies become public limited companies because selling the shares on the stock exchange allows them to raise finance to fund their company’s expansion.


Access to finance
Access to finance
- It is normally easier for limited companies to get bank loans than sole traders or partnerships.
- This will help them raise more capital to grow. Because of this, sole traders and partnerships often decide to incorporate the business.
Not-For-Profit Organisations
Not-For-Profit Organisations
Any profit made by not-for-profit organisations is reinvested (put back) in the business. Any profit cannot be kept by the owners. There are lots of types of not-for-profit organisations and they can have different aims:


Charities
Charities
- Charities, like Oxfam or Save the Children, are a type of not-for-profit organisation.
- Getting charitable status lets a business get tax relief and lets it apply for certain grants. For a business to get charitable status, they must follow rules and regulations.


Unincorporated association
Unincorporated association
- Not-for-profit organisations can choose to be an ‘unincorporated association’ but, like sole traders and partnerships, the people who manage it have unlimited liability.
- This means that they get no profit and they are legally responsible for all of the organisation’s debt.
- Bigger organisations, like Oxfam, tend to be incorporated so that the people running it are protected from unlimited liability.
1Exploring Business
1.1Features of Business Organisations
1.2Organisation of Businesses
1.3Business Environment
1.3.1External Influences
1.3.2Political & Legal Change
1.3.3Economic Environment
1.3.4Social & Technological Environment
1.3.5Lifestyle & Technological Environment
1.3.6Corporate Social Responsibility
1.3.7The Competitive Environment
1.3.8Innovation
1.3.9Risk & Uncertainty
1.3.10Porter's Five Forces
1.3.11SWOT Analysis
2Marketing Campaigns
2.1Marketing
3Business Finance
3.1Sources of Finance
3.2Financial Planning
3.3Financial Statements
4International Business
4.1Globalisation
4.2International Business
4.3International Economic Environment
4.4Factors Affecting International Business
5Principles of Management
5.1Management & Leadership
5.2Theories of Motivation
6Business Decision Making
6.1Business Principles & Practices
6.2Quality Management
6.3Human Resources
6.4Documents & Business Decisions
Jump to other topics
1Exploring Business
1.1Features of Business Organisations
1.2Organisation of Businesses
1.3Business Environment
1.3.1External Influences
1.3.2Political & Legal Change
1.3.3Economic Environment
1.3.4Social & Technological Environment
1.3.5Lifestyle & Technological Environment
1.3.6Corporate Social Responsibility
1.3.7The Competitive Environment
1.3.8Innovation
1.3.9Risk & Uncertainty
1.3.10Porter's Five Forces
1.3.11SWOT Analysis
2Marketing Campaigns
2.1Marketing
3Business Finance
3.1Sources of Finance
3.2Financial Planning
3.3Financial Statements
4International Business
4.1Globalisation
4.2International Business
4.3International Economic Environment
4.4Factors Affecting International Business
5Principles of Management
5.1Management & Leadership
5.2Theories of Motivation
6Business Decision Making
6.1Business Principles & Practices
6.2Quality Management
6.3Human Resources
6.4Documents & Business Decisions
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