1.1.3
The Role of Business Enterprise
What Purpose do Businesses Serve?
What Purpose do Businesses Serve?
Businesses supply goods, services or a combination of both.


Goods
Goods
- Goods are physical products such as a PlayStation console or Coca Cola soft drinks.


Services
Services
- Services are non-physical actions performed by a business to help a customer.
- Snapchat is an example of this; they provide a digital platform for people to send photos to one another. They don’t actually provide a physical good (except Spectacles - do they even exist anymore?).


Goods and services
Goods and services
- Some businesses provide both goods and services.
- Restaurants, for example, provide goods in the form of physical food but also services in the form of waiters and waitresses and an atmosphere where customers can enjoy their meal.


B2B and B2C
B2B and B2C
- It is also important to note that some businesses sell products or services to customers (B2C – business to customer) while others sell to other businesses (B2B – business to business).
- DHL sells logistics (delivery and supply chain) support to other businesses like Jaguar Land Rover.
What Do Businesses Do?
What Do Businesses Do?
Businesses can serve either customers’ needs or wants. Some businesses are called distributors - they buy products from manufacturers and sell them onto businesses or customers.


Customers' needs
Customers' needs
- Customers' needs are the things that people can't live without.
- For example, Severn Trent provides water to people's homes in the United Kingdom.


Customers’ wants
Customers’ wants
- Some businesses exist to serve customers’ wants. They don’t need these products and services but want them.
- E.g. television, jewellery or parties.
1Investigating Small Business
1.1Enterprise & Entrepreneurship
1.2Spotting a Business Opportunity
1.2.1Customer Needs
1.2.2Market Research
1.2.3Market Segmentation
1.2.4The Competitive Environment
1.2.5Primary & Secondary Market Research
1.2.6End of Topic Test - Business Opportunities
1.2.7Application Questions - Business Opportunities
1.2.8Exam-Style Questions - Market Segmentation
1.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Competition
1.3Putting a Business Idea into Practice
1.3.1Business Aims
1.3.2Business Objectives
1.3.3Business Revenues & Costs
1.3.4Costs - Calculations
1.3.5Revenue - Calculations
1.3.6Business Profits & Break-Even Analysis
1.3.7Profits & Losses - Calculations
1.3.8Interest - Calculations
1.3.9Cash & Cash Flow
1.3.10Cash & Cash Flow 2
1.3.11Cash Flow - Calculations
1.3.12Sources of Business Finance
1.3.13End of Topic Test - Business in Practice
1.3.14Grade 9 - Business in Practice
1.3.15Exam-Style Questions - Business in Practice
1.3.16Diagnostic Misconceptions - Profit
1.3.17Diagnostic Misconceptions - Company vs Business
1.3.18Diagnostic Misconceptions - Economies of Scale
1.3.19Diagnostic Misconceptions - Cash Flow
1.3.20Diagnostic Misconceptions - Break-even
1.3.21Diagnostic Misconceptions - Fixed Costs
1.4Making the Business Effective
1.5Business Stakeholders
2Building a Business
2.1Growing the Business
2.2Making Marketing Decisions
2.2.1Product
2.2.2Product Life Cycle
2.2.3Price
2.2.4Pricing Methods
2.2.5End of Topic Test - Product & Price
2.2.6Grade 9 - Product & Price
2.2.7Promotion & Advertising
2.2.8PR & Sales Promotions
2.2.9Sponsorship & Product Placement
2.2.10Promotional Mix
2.2.11End of Topic Test - Promotion
2.2.12Application Questions - Promotion
2.2.13Exam-Style Questions - Promotional Mix
2.2.14Place & Wholesalers
2.2.15Direct to Consumer
2.2.16E-commerce & M-commerce
2.2.17Diagnostic Misconceptions - Decreasing Price
2.2.18Diagnostic Misconceptions - Advertise vs Promote
2.2.19Diagnostic Misconceptions - Social Media
2.3Making Operational Decisions
2.3.1Job Production
2.3.2Batch & Flow Production
2.3.3Working with Suppliers
2.3.4Effective Supply Chains
2.3.5Just In Time & Just In Case
2.3.6Managing Quality
2.3.7Total Quality Management
2.3.8The Sales Process
2.3.9End of Topic Test - Operational Decisions
2.3.10Grade 9 - Operational Decisions
2.3.11Exam-Style Questions - Managing Stock
2.3.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - JIT vs JIC
2.4Making Financial Decisions
2.5Making Human Resource Decisions
2.5.1Organisational Structures
2.5.2Organisational Structures 2
2.5.3Recruitment
2.5.4Effective Recruitment
2.5.5Training a Workforce
2.5.6Motivating a Workforce
2.5.7End of Topic Tests - Human Resources
2.5.8Application Questions - Human Resources
2.5.9Exam-Style Questions - Human Resources
2.5.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Owners vs Shareholders
2.5.11Diagnostic Misconceptions - Internal Recruitment
2.5.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - Employee Motivation
Jump to other topics
1Investigating Small Business
1.1Enterprise & Entrepreneurship
1.2Spotting a Business Opportunity
1.2.1Customer Needs
1.2.2Market Research
1.2.3Market Segmentation
1.2.4The Competitive Environment
1.2.5Primary & Secondary Market Research
1.2.6End of Topic Test - Business Opportunities
1.2.7Application Questions - Business Opportunities
1.2.8Exam-Style Questions - Market Segmentation
1.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Competition
1.3Putting a Business Idea into Practice
1.3.1Business Aims
1.3.2Business Objectives
1.3.3Business Revenues & Costs
1.3.4Costs - Calculations
1.3.5Revenue - Calculations
1.3.6Business Profits & Break-Even Analysis
1.3.7Profits & Losses - Calculations
1.3.8Interest - Calculations
1.3.9Cash & Cash Flow
1.3.10Cash & Cash Flow 2
1.3.11Cash Flow - Calculations
1.3.12Sources of Business Finance
1.3.13End of Topic Test - Business in Practice
1.3.14Grade 9 - Business in Practice
1.3.15Exam-Style Questions - Business in Practice
1.3.16Diagnostic Misconceptions - Profit
1.3.17Diagnostic Misconceptions - Company vs Business
1.3.18Diagnostic Misconceptions - Economies of Scale
1.3.19Diagnostic Misconceptions - Cash Flow
1.3.20Diagnostic Misconceptions - Break-even
1.3.21Diagnostic Misconceptions - Fixed Costs
1.4Making the Business Effective
1.5Business Stakeholders
2Building a Business
2.1Growing the Business
2.2Making Marketing Decisions
2.2.1Product
2.2.2Product Life Cycle
2.2.3Price
2.2.4Pricing Methods
2.2.5End of Topic Test - Product & Price
2.2.6Grade 9 - Product & Price
2.2.7Promotion & Advertising
2.2.8PR & Sales Promotions
2.2.9Sponsorship & Product Placement
2.2.10Promotional Mix
2.2.11End of Topic Test - Promotion
2.2.12Application Questions - Promotion
2.2.13Exam-Style Questions - Promotional Mix
2.2.14Place & Wholesalers
2.2.15Direct to Consumer
2.2.16E-commerce & M-commerce
2.2.17Diagnostic Misconceptions - Decreasing Price
2.2.18Diagnostic Misconceptions - Advertise vs Promote
2.2.19Diagnostic Misconceptions - Social Media
2.3Making Operational Decisions
2.3.1Job Production
2.3.2Batch & Flow Production
2.3.3Working with Suppliers
2.3.4Effective Supply Chains
2.3.5Just In Time & Just In Case
2.3.6Managing Quality
2.3.7Total Quality Management
2.3.8The Sales Process
2.3.9End of Topic Test - Operational Decisions
2.3.10Grade 9 - Operational Decisions
2.3.11Exam-Style Questions - Managing Stock
2.3.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - JIT vs JIC
2.4Making Financial Decisions
2.5Making Human Resource Decisions
2.5.1Organisational Structures
2.5.2Organisational Structures 2
2.5.3Recruitment
2.5.4Effective Recruitment
2.5.5Training a Workforce
2.5.6Motivating a Workforce
2.5.7End of Topic Tests - Human Resources
2.5.8Application Questions - Human Resources
2.5.9Exam-Style Questions - Human Resources
2.5.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Owners vs Shareholders
2.5.11Diagnostic Misconceptions - Internal Recruitment
2.5.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - Employee Motivation
Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium
Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions
Mini-mock exams based on your study history
Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books