Explanation:
Business is the buying, selling & exchange of goods & services for-profit service or motive is commonly known as business. The term business is derived from the word ‘busy’. In a specific sense, business activities refer to any occupation in which people regularly engage in an activity with a view to earning the profit. Let us take a look at the classification of business activities.
Classification of Business Activities
Into two broad categories, various business activities can be classified-
Industry
Commerce
Industry
The sector where raw material gets converted into useful products is called industry. Activities related to production & processing as well as activities related to rearing & reproduction of animals or other living species are all included in the industry. The purpose of industry is to create form utility by converting raw materials into useful forms of finished products.
An industry may produce consumer goods or capital goods. Goods such as bread, butter, cloth, radio, etc. are consumer goods. These goods are directly used by the consumer. Goods such as machinery, cement etc. are called capital goods as these are used further in the production process to make useful products.
Commerce
We can refer to commerce as all those activities which help directly or indirectly in the distribution of goods to the ultimate consumer. There will be no use of producing goods unless & until these goods reach the ultimate consumer. Goods are produced at one place & consumers are scattered at different places. Commerce can be classified into two broad categories:
Trade
Aids to trade
Trade
Trade is an integral part of commerce. It includes buying & selling of goods & services. The trade segment of commerce brings together the manufacturer & the consumer, i.e. it is a link between the manufacturer & the consumer.
Trade can be classified into two types:
Internal trade: It refers to buying & selling of goods or services within the geographical boundaries of a country. It is also known as home trade or domestic trade. Under internal trade, goods & services are bought & sold in the home currency only. The internal trade can be two types:
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
External trade: When the buying & selling of goods & services is beyond the geographical limits of the country it is called external trade. It is also known as trade between two or more countries. In external trade, the market is very wide. External trade is of the following types:
Export trade
Import trade
Entrepot trade
Aids to Trade
