Why is Understanding Business Entities Important?
Written by J. Mance Gordon
Updated at April 20th, 2024
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Why is studying business entities important?
Owners and managers of a business seek to organize their resources to maximize productivity and opportunities. These individuals must understand the important characteristics of the business entity to take advantage of all of the benefits associated with carrying on a business activity as a legal entity. Taking advantage of a business entity status means choosing an entity form for your business, operating within your chosen entity form, and undertaking business transactions with various entity types. Understanding business entity characteristics includes familiarizing ones self with the ownership structure, organizational structure, potential liability, compensation methods, and tax laws applicable to the business entity. Lastly, the owners and managers of a business must comply with the procedural and substantive laws applicable to that business entity. This is generally known as business governance.
Note: Numerous other requirements may exist before a business entity may carry on business in a jurisdiction. For example, she will likely have to obtain a business license from the local government before undertaking business. She will have to do a fictitious name filing if she operates under a name other than her own name. Further, she will need to set up an employer identification number (EIN) if she plans to have employees for her business. All of this is distinct from the nature and characteristics of the business entity.
Next Article: What are Business Entities? Back to: BUSINESS ENTITIES
Discussion Question
Try to outline the procedural steps necessary to form a business entity within a state. This will likely require you to go to the Secretary of States website for your particular state. The process and rules for form any business entity type will be explained there. Note: The process may vary slightly, for each state.
Related Topics
- Business Entities (Intro)
- Why is studying business entities important?
- Considerations When Forming a Business Entity
- Holistic (Detailed) Overview of Setting Up a Business Entity
- What are Business Entities?
- What is a Closely-held vs Publicly-held Business?
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What are the main types of business entity?
- What are the primary characteristics of business entities?
- What is Creation of a business entity?
- Where to Form a Business
- Incorporating in Delaware
- Forming an LLC in Nevada or Wyoming
- Creating a Company Offshore
- Promoter
- Promoter Liability
- De Jure Corporation
- Ultra Vires
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- What is Continuity of a business entity?
- Business Continuity Planning
- Buy Sell Agreements
- Shotgun Clause
- Winding Up
- Dissolving a Foreign Qualification
- What is the Ownership structure of a business entity?
- Joint Stock Company
- Parent Company
- Subsidiary Company
- Wholly-Owned Subsidiary
-
Operating Subsidiary
-
Holding Company
- State-Owned Enterprise
- Mutual Company
- Conglomerate
- What is Control of a business entity?
- What is Personal liability of owners of a business entity?
- Entity Theory
- Piercing the Corporate Veil
- What is Compensation of business owners?
- What is Taxation of a business entity?
- What is Sales & Use tax?
- What are payroll and self-employment taxes?
- What are the major characteristics of a Sole proprietorship?
- Uniform Partnership Act
- Uniform Limited Partnership Act
- Partnership Agreement
- At-Will Partnerships
- Responsibilities of Partners to the Partnership
- Silent Partner
- Funding the Partnership
- How are Partners Compensated
- Splitting Equity in an Industrial Partnership
- Terminating the Partnership
- Types of Partnerships
- What are the main characteristics of a General partnership?
- Tort Liability of General Partner
- What are the main characteristics of a Joint venture?
- What are the main characteristics of a Limited partnership?
- Family Limited Partnership
- Master Limited Partnership
- What are the main characteristics of a Limited liability partnership?
- What are the main characteristics of a Limited liability company?
- Forming an LLC
- Articles of Organization
- Operating Agreement or LLC Agreement
- Why You Need an LLC Agreement
- LLC Compensation of Members
- LLC Taxation
- Converting to an LLC
- What are the main characteristics of a Corporation
- Articles of Incorporation
- What to include in the Articles of Incorporation
- Corporate Bylaws
- Exiting the Corporation
- Dissenter's Rights
- What are the requirements to be an S Corporation?
- Non-Profit Organization
- NonProfit Business Entities
- Private Foundation
- A Detailed Explanation of the Sole Proprietorship
- Taxation of Sole Proprietorship
- A Detailed Explanation of the General Partnership
- 50/50 Partnerships: Never a Good Idea
- Publicly-Traded Partnerships
- A Detailed Explanation of the Limited Liability Company
- A Detailed Explanation of the Corporation
- Keepwell Agreement (Letter of Comfort)
- Personal Service Corporation Definition
- A Detailed Explanation of the Non-Profit Entity
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