Sole proprietor

The different types of business organization to be found in the UK and most other capitalist countries may be classified under five headings: the sole proprietor, the partnership, the joint stock company, the cooperative society, and the public corporation.

Sole proprietor is the simplest and the oldest form of business enterprise and often referred to as the one-person business. A single person provides the capital, takes the decisions, and assumes the risks. He or she is solely responsible for the success or failure of the business and has, therefore, the sole rights to such profits as may be made, or, alternatively, bears the sole responsibility for such losses as may accrue. The one-person business is still far more numerous than any other types of business organisation, but in terms of total output employment, value of capital employed, or value of total output, it is relatively unimportant compared with the joint stock company.

The strength of this type of firm lies in the direct personal interest of the proprietor in the efficiency of his enterprise. Ownership and control are vested in one person who enjoys all the fruits of success and hence has a great incentive to run the firm efficiently. Since the proprietor is the sole decision – taker and has no need to consult colleagues when changes of policy are required we should expect this type of organisation to be extremely flexible and capable of quick and easy adjustment to changes in market conditions.

The great disadvantage of the sole proprietor from an enterprise lies in the fact that the owner is personally liable for the debts incurred by his firm and his liability is unlimited. All his personal possessions are at risk and may be seized to meet creditors demands in the event of the business becoming insolvent. Another disadvantage of this type of firm is the strict limitation of its ability to acquire capital for expansion. Finance is restricted to the amounts which the entrepreneur is able to provide from his own resources and whatever sums he can borrow on his own security.

We find the one-person business prevalent in farming, bailing, building, repair and maintenance work, and personal services such as hairdressing.

Language practice and Speaking

10. Fill in the blanks using the words below

possessions, adjustment, proprietor, failure, headings, enterprise, efficiency, ownership, conditions, flexible, failure, liability, debts, decisions, responsible

1. The different types of business organization may be classified under five ....

2. This is the simplest and the oldest form of business ....

3. A single person is solely ... for the success or... of the business.

4. His ... is unlimited.

5. ... and control are vested in one person.

6. This type of organization is extremely ... and capable of quick ... to changes in market....

7. The owner is personally liable for the ... incurred by his firm.

8. All his ... are at risk.

9. A single person provides the capital, takes the ..., and assumes the risks.