Business Planning

Business Continuity Plan – What Is It, And How Does It Work?

Soumava Goswami

Business Planning September, 09 2023

Your business can come across a disaster or a host of negative situations for the business, which negatively affect the work processes of the business. In such cases, business continuity planning is one of the most necessary things to have. A business continuity plan will enable you to stay prepared for any kind of negative situation for the business. This shall further ensure that the business is able to work the same.

In this article, you will learn about a business continuity plan and what are its major features. In addition to that, you will also learn how a business continuity plan works for a business. Furthermore, we will also discuss the major benefits of having a business continuity plan for your business. Finally, we will guide you with a step-by-step procedure on how to create such a plan for your business and stay prepared.

What Is A Business Continuity Plan?

According to Hubspot.com,

“A business continuity plan outlines directions and procedures that your company will follow when faced with a crisis. These plans include business procedures, names of assets and partners, human resource functions, and other helpful information that can help maintain your brand’s relationships with relevant stakeholders.”

The major goal of a business continuity plan is to deal with the situations that disrupt the business. These disruptions can be both minor and full-blown threats. The plan allows you to plan for contingencies ahead of time.

Such plans, as well as preparations according to those plans, can allow your business to continue operations even at times of high risk. Having a plan will help you to deal with the risks and either prevent or mitigate them.

Some of the major disruptions that can affect the business include a natural disaster, a man-made disaster, a network breakdown, a cyber attack, and various other factors. These situations are large enough to disrupt organizations of any size. In such situations, a business continuity plan benefits the business by providing it with a procedure, processes, and tools. These will help the business to operate properly and recover within a short span of time.

How Does A Business Continuity Plan Work?

According to VMWare.com,

“Business continuity planning is critical because without it, an organization faces downtime and other problems that could damage its financial health. In major disasters, a lack of a business continuity plan could cause irreparable financial harm that might ultimately force a company to permanently close.”

In a business continuity plan, the business defines all the risks that can affect the operations of the organization. Hence, the plan becomes an important part of the risk management processes of the business. Some of the major risks include disasters, network breakdowns, cyberattacks, and more.

Since threats and disruptions include a loss of revenue and higher costs for the business, it can lead to a loss of business profits. Furthermore, it is also not a great thing for your business to rely on insurance alone. Also, since the business does not cover all the necessary costs, as well as the ones associated with customers, a business continuity plan is necessary to deal with such situations.

What Are The Benefits Of Having A Business Continuity Plan?

The disasters in a business can be of any size and degree and can even be catastrophic for the business. Hence, a business continuity plan is one of the most essential things you can have for your business. The plan will help you to identify all the major risks that can affect the work processes of your company.

According to Investopedia,

“BCP is typically meant to help a company continue operating in the event of threats and disruptions. This could result in a loss of revenue and higher costs, which leads to a drop in profitability. And businesses can’t rely on insurance alone because it doesn’t cover all the costs and the customers who move to the competition.”

The following are some of the major benefits of a business continuity plan:

It helps to continue operating even in times of disaster. However, it is different from a disaster recovery plan.
Helps in improving risk management of the company.
It can stop disruptions in the organization from spreading.
Helps to mitigate downtime of business technology and networks.
It helps to save a lot of money, time, and resources.

Business Continuity Plan – Steps To Create

Here are some of the major steps you will need to follow if you want to create a business continuity plan:

1. Business Impact Analysis

According to Investopedia,

“An important part of developing a BCP is a business continuity impact analysis. It identifies the effects of disruption of business functions and processes. It also uses the information to make decisions about recovery priorities and strategies.”

Here, your business managers will need to identify the functions of the plan as well as related resources for the business, especially the ones that are sensitive to time.

2. Recovery

In this portion of the plan, the planner will need to identify the steps and implement them. This will include the steps for recovery as well.

3. Continuity Team

You will need to create a continuity team here. The job of the team will be to devise a plan to manage the disruption of the plan.

4. Continuity Training

You will need to train and test the continuity team here. The members of the team will also need to complete various exercises for the application of the plan.

Summing Up

Hope this article was helpful for you in getting a better idea of what a business continuity plan is and how it can allow your organization to recover quickly from disasters or, in the best cases, prevent them. The plan is a great option to keep your personnel prepared, save your assets, and ensure the business starts functioning fast.

However, you will need to test your business continuity plan from time to time to ensure that there are no gaps in it. To find out gaps, you can create dummy situations or drills with your employees. Do you have any more recommendations on how to create the best business continuity plan? Share your ideas with us in the comments section below.

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Soumava Goswami

Inspired by The Social Network, Soumava loves to find ways to make small businesses successful – he spends most of his time analyzing case studies of successful small businesses. With 5+ years of experience in flourishing with a small MarTech company, he knows countless tricks that work in favor of small businesses. His keen interest in finance is what fuels his passion for giving the best advice for small business operations. He loves to invest his time familiarizing himself with the latest business trends and brainstorming ways to apply them. From handling customer feedback to making the right business decisions, you’ll find all the answers with him!

Importance Of Capital Goods – What Role Does It Play In The Industry?

Do you want to know whether the Capital Goods are the future or a threat to future investment? If yes, you have to understand the reality of Capital goods before drawing any conclusion over it. You must know some of the fundamental aspects of Capital goods before understanding their functions and importance in the Industry. Without knowing the basics, you cannot draw any conclusions about it. Without an adequate supply of Capital goods, Industry cannot grow on the right track. Therefore, you must possess the correct amount of capital goods to increase the chances of your business growth. What Are Capital Goods? The physical assets of a company that is used in the process of production by a company are known as Capital goods. The consumers will use all these products and services produced by the company using these goods. Different forms of capital goods are equipment, machinery, tools, and buildings. Most importantly, they are not finished products; instead, they are used to prepare them. Importance Of Capital Goods Capital plays a vital role in the modern productive system. Without the use of Capital, you cannot be able to run your business successfully. Therefore, every essential aspect of your business is dependent on the application of capital goods. Also Check: Canned Packaged Goods: Everything You Need To Know 1. It Is Essential For Production Without capital, the production of goods and services is hard to imagine. However, nature cannot provide you with all the furnished goods and services to human beings. Machinery for farming, mining, forestry, and ashing can make things easier and more effective for your production process. However, if a man has to work with his bare hand for agriculture, then productivity will be low. Even in the primitive age, the application of the tools was there for plowing the agricultural field. In the modern age, the application of sophisticated machines has made people's lives more accessible and has increased the rate of efficiency. 2. Enhances The Productivity With the enhancement of technology and specialization, the application of capital goods has become much more important than before. Therefore, within a limited time, more goods can be produced. It's like machinery has made the life of the people easier today. In addition, extensive use of capital has made the USA one of the strongest economies in the world due to the high productivity rate. Many developed countries of the world today are primarily dependent on Capital Goods. So you have to make your choices in the correct direction while improving your business. 3. Importance For Economic Development In the process of economic development, capital occupies a central role. This is because the core of economic growth is capital accumulation. A country’s economic development is solely responsible for the usage of capital goods. Roads, railways, airports, harbors, and other essential facilities we use today are part of the capital. Economies of the USA, Russia, And China are developed because they have a high amount of capital to build their economy. Without the application of Capital goods, no economy can flourish in the long run. 4. Creates Employment Opportunity One of the vital roles of Capital goods is creating employment opportunities in any country. Therefore, creating employment opportunities in a country increases when you use Capital goods. Therefore, employment generation is the actual cause for which its use is crucial. It creates the employment opportunity in two ways or, better to say, in two stages- Firstly it creates employment opportunities when workers are hired to produce the machinery, which will help construct dams, roads, and railways. Secondly, workers will be required to handle the machinery for producing the finished products using the capital goods. Many factories will crop up in completing the dam projects, and many people will get employment opportunities. Thus, the capital formation can increase the chances of employment generation in a nation. First, however, you have to understand the ways before using capital goods to develop your nation's economy. 5. Helps To Convert Raw Materials Into Finished Products No factories in the world can flourish only with adequate raw material. The sales of an organization will increase when with the help of machinery, a company's raw materials will be converted into finished goods. Only by selling the finished goods, the asset side of the balance sheet shows a better figure for the organization. Therefore, the profitability of an organization is heavily dependent on the use of Capital goods. You have to understand the co-relation between Capital goods and their usage in modern-day business. Then, proper planning with the help of adequate execution can make things simpler for your organization. Also Read: Boxed Packaged Goods: The right Guide To uplift Your Business Functions Of Capital Goods There are several functions of Capital goods that many of us are not aware of in the correct order. Some of them are as follows:- It ensures an adequate supply of raw materials for your business. The supply of appliances and heavy machinery can help you increase your production level. Capital goods provide the means of subsistence to the workers. You can enjoy the provision for transportation like Railways, motor trucks to make the supply of your products and services smoother. Employment creation and employment generation for the workers increase when you use capital goods. Thus, capital goods form a vital part of the economy that you cannot ignore at your end. You have to admit the importance of Capital goods in your life. Developed countries of the world have focussed on Capital formation first to develop their economy. Final Take Away Without applying capital goods, no economy can prosper in the long run. Therefore, developed economies of the world make extensive use of the capital to improve their economy to the next level. You can share your comments and opinions if you feel that my opinion is correct. For example, today, the demand for Capital goods has increased due to increased orders. If your company has a higher capital margin, then the chances of the growth of your organization increase. You have to understand the facts before deciding to invest in Capital goods. More Resources: Should You Buy GMER Stock? Everything You Should Know Should You Buy GS2C Stock? Everything You Should Know Is PHI Stock A Good Buy? Everything You Should Know

Techniques for Boosting Liquidity and Unlocking Cash Flow in Your Business

Businesses today are highly competitive. There are challenges galore, like fluctuating market conditions, effective finance management, and rising expenditure. Let's go for the techniques for boosting liquidity and unlocking cash flow. However, organizations can boost business liquidity by implementing the right techniques and improving their cash flow. Moreover, the new approaches can improve the organization's financial stability and agility. In this guide, we'll discuss some of the most proven methodologies and strategies for optimizing cash flow, enhancing financial liquidity, and, finally, navigating liquidity crises. Understanding Business Cash Management One of the cornerstones of financial health for any business is effective cash flow management. It involves vigilance in the flow of cash in and out of the business organization. In addition, cash management can successfully meet short-term obligations and maximize returns on surplus funds. Business organizations must implement efficient capital management practices and employ robust cash flow analysis methods for boosting liquidity and unlocking cash flow. One of cash management's essential requisites is cash flow forecasting. With the help of the most accurate prediction, future cash inflows, and outflows, businesses can understand liquidity gaps in the organization. In response, they can take the required measures to address the issue. However, businesses can streamline the forecasting process by using advanced financial planning tools like SAP or QuickBooks. Also, businesses can provide the most real-time insights into the trends in cash flow. It can help companies to make the most informed decisions. Strategies for Boosting Liquidity There are some great strategies through which organizations can successfully boost liquidity in business. A. Build Cash Reserves Building adequate cash reserves is one of the most fundamental aspects of robust financial management for businesses. It also takes into account the accumulation of surplus funds. As a result, it assists in creating a financial cushion that can be tapped into during times of need or opportunity: 1. Assess Financial Position: First, you need to conduct a thorough assessment of your company's current financial position. Review cash flow statements, balance sheets, and profit and loss statements. This will help you understand your organization's cash inflows, outflows, and overall liquidity position. 2. Set Clear Goals: Secondly, the business needs to establish clear objectives for maintaining cash reserves, which are based on the business's goals, financial projections, and tolerance of risks. Determine the desired level of reserves. Your cash reserves must be enough to cover operating debt obligations, operating expenses, and potential contingencies. 3. Develop A Plan: A structured plan is a must for businesses as it outlines finding accumulation goals for building cash reserves. Moreover, you need to consider factors like frequency, fund sources, amount of contributions, and any restrictions for boosting liquidity and unlocking cash flow. Techniques like premonitions or structured frameworks governing reserve management are also useful. 4. Allocate Profits: You must work to segregate the profits of the organizations towards building cash reserves frequently. Besides, you can do it with the help of retained earnings or by setting aside a predetermined net income percentage after taxes and other expenses. 5. Control Expenses: Organizations need to practice managing rising expenses and making the best use of cash flow. It will help in building reserve accumulation. Hence, you must evaluate and renegotiate contracts with suppliers and discretionary spending. Also, you need to explore opportunities for cost savings across different business operations. 6. Explore Investment Options: Determine the investment vehicle that suits your organizaton. It is important for your cash reserves based on your liquidity needs and risk profile. Also, you must consider investment options like short-term certificates of deposit (CDs), money market accounts, or, say, low-risk investment funds. This helps offer competitive returns while maintaining liquidity. 7. Monitor And Reevaluate: You should monitor your progress toward building cash reserves closely. Moreover, you must periodically assess your financial strengths, goals, and objectives. You need to adjust your reserve-building strategy in response to market conditions, business performance, or unexpected events. 8. Stay Disciplined: Adhering to your reserve-building plan must be consistent discipline. Yes, you need to do it even during the period of financial growth and stability. Besides, you must say "No" to putting your hands into reserves for non-essential expenses and prioritizing long-term financial security over short-term gratification. B. Implement Short-Term Liquidity Strategies Short-term strategies on liquidity are helpful in focusing on cash flow optimization within a limited timeframe. It helps to address the shortfalls and address immediate financial needs. Here are some of the points through which businesses can implement short-term liquidity strategies effectively: 1. Negotiate Favorable Payment Terms: Businesses can come to the negotiation table with with suppliers or the payment terms. This can help them secure discounts for early payments. Moreover, by negotiating payment terms, businesses and organizations can steadily uplift the cash flow by deferring outgoing payments. Simultaneously, they can preserve relationships with suppliers. 2. Accelerate Accounts Receivable Collections: Procuring accounts receivable with utmost promptness is the key to enhancing the flow of cash. Businesses can make good use of early customer payments through discounts or penalties for late payments. In addition, businesses can implement automated invoicing and payment reminders. This can help them streamline the collection process and expedite cash inflows. 3. Leverage Short-Term Financing Options: Short-term financing options, such as lines of credit, merchant cash advances, and invoice factoring, can offer adequate liquidity cash flow shortages. These financing options can offer the right flexibility and quick access to funds. As a result, businesses can meet short-term obligations without depletion of cash reserves. 4. Optimize Cash Conversion Cycle: You must look to optimize the cash conversion cycle. It can help businesses pinpoint the organization's weak and inefficient areas in managing working capital. However, by reducing the conversion time from inventory into cash and procuring receivables, business enterprises can free up cash flow and improve organizations' liquidity. 5. Monitor Cash Flow Proactively: Monitoring cash flow is essential for identifying potential liquidity gaps and taking preemptive action. The business organization can optimize the forecasting tools and financial dashboards to provide real-time visibility into cash flow trends. This helps businesses to make the most informed decisions to make the most of the liquidity. 6. Streamline Expense Management: Analyzing and bringing down discretionary expenses can help you free up cash flow in the short term. Besides, businesses can pinpoint cost-saving opportunities by scrutinizing expenditure expenses, which include non-essential purchases, travel, and entertainment. Implementing expense management policies and controls can help enforce cost discipline across different organizations. C. Enhance Operational Cash Flow Operational cash flow is any business's lifeblood. They represent generating cash from businesses' core operating activities. Hence, a business must be proactive in maximizing operational cash flow. This is essential for sustaining daily operations. Moreover, enhancing the flow of cash helps meet financial obligations, which in turn drives business growth. A comprehensive strategy breakdown can help enhance operational cash flow. 1. Optimizing Working Capital Management To enhance operational cash flow, a business must have efficiently managed working capital. This involves effective management of accounts payable, cash receivable, and inventory levels. This can help bring down the cash that is tied up in working capital. Businesses can achieve this by: Streamlining invoice procedure and collection processes. It can help accelerate cash inflows from customers. Negotiating favorable terms of payment with suppliers can extend the payment deadlines. Moreover, it can help in preserving cash. Implementing techniques in inventory management, such as demand forecasting and just-in-time inventory, can help bridge down excess inventory. Moreover, it can help reduce carrying costs. 2. Reducing Inventory Levels Excess inventory can tie up the valuable cash. It can increase storage costs. However, businesses, by optimizing the level of inventory, can free up cash for other operational needs. They can achieve it by: Conducting regular inventory audits to identify slow-moving or obsolete inventory items. Implementing inventory turnover ratios to determine optimal stocking levels and reduce excess inventory. Utilizing inventory management systems and ERP solutions like Odoo or Shopify to automate inventory control processes and optimize inventory turnover. Cleverence, the Inventory and Warehouse Management Software for Your Accounting or ERP System, provides comprehensive solutions for business. It is effective for businesses that want to streamline their inventory management processes. Cleverence's solutions are masters in tracking inventory, managing multiple warehouse locations, scanning barcodes, and mastering complex manufacturing. Businesses are showing their preference for using this easy-to-use solution. With Cleverence, you can extract more value from your existing system. When business inventory moves in and out of your operational workflows, your current system updates automatically. As a result, it gives you the right insight into COGS, the true landed cost, and the cash flow impact. 3. Streamlining Business Processes Streamlining business approaches can be helpful in improving operational efficiency. Furthermore, it can bring down reduced costs. Besides, it can accelerate cash flow. You consider these approaches effective in boosting liquidity and unlocking cash flow. Businesses can achieve this by: 1. Pinpointing the bottlenecks and the weak areas in business. It is key to the operational processes and implementing improvement processes. 2. Automating the redundant activities and tasks workflows. Furthermore, it can help elevate productivity and lower the cost of labor. 3. Using the right technology solutions, like ERP systems. These developments help integrate and streamline business operations. From order processing to fulfillment, ERP solutions are effective. 4. Negotiating Favorable Payment Terms Negotiating favorable payment terms with customers and suppliers can be the approach to boosting liquidity and unlocking cash flow. It can have quite a significant impact on the flow of cash. Businesses can: 1. Offer huge discounts for early payment. It can help incentivize customers to settle invoices with utmost promptness. 2. Negotiating terms of extending payment with suppliers. It can help to align payment deadlines and cash flows. 3. Establishing clear payment terms and conditions can help evade discrepancies and disputes regarding delays in the payment process. 5. Implementing Cash Flow Monitoring And Analysis Regular monitoring and analysis of cash flow are essential for identifying trends, potential cash flow gaps, and areas for improvement. Businesses can: Utilize cash flow forecasting tools and financial reporting systems to track cash flow trends and projections. Conduct variance analysis to compare actual cash flows with forecasted amounts and identify discrepancies. Implement cash flow monitoring dashboards and reports within ERP systems to provide real-time visibility into cash flow metrics and key performance indicators. Navigating Through Liquidity Crises Even the most well-managed businesses may encounter liquidity crises due to unforeseen circumstances such as economic downturns or supply chain disruptions. During such times, it's crucial to have a robust contingency plan in place to mitigate the impact on cash flow and preserve financial stability. When faced with such challenges, it is imperative to initiate a thorough assessment of cash flow requirements and available resources. This assessment should encompass a meticulous examination of current liabilities, upcoming expenses, and potential sources of liquidity. Once the cash flow landscape is comprehensively understood, the next step involves identifying opportunities for cost reduction and implementing austerity measures where necessary. This may entail scrutinizing operational expenses, renegotiating contracts with suppliers, and optimizing resource allocation to prioritize essential activities. Furthermore, exploring alternative financing options becomes paramount during liquidity crises. Businesses may need to consider tapping into lines of credit, seeking asset-based lending arrangements, or even contemplating equity injections to infuse much-needed liquidity into the organization. Each option should be evaluated meticulously, considering factors such as cost, risk, and impact on long-term financial stability. Continuous monitoring of business liquidity is essential throughout the crisis period. Utilizing sophisticated ERP systems like Infor or Tally enables real-time tracking of cash flow metrics and facilitates data-driven decision-making. By staying vigilant and proactive, businesses can swiftly identify emerging challenges and adjust their strategies accordingly to navigate through the crisis effectively. Conclusion In conclusion, effective liquidity management is essential for sustaining business operations, fueling growth, and ensuring long-term financial stability. Businesses can navigate through challenges with confidence and agility by adopting a proactive approach to cash management, leveraging advanced financial planning tools, and implementing targeted strategies for boosting liquidity. Remember, the key to success lies in continuous monitoring, strategic planning, and adaptability in the face of changing market dynamics. Read More: Top 10 Effective Applications of AI in Fintech 5 Essential Aspects That Every Small Business Needs How To Start A Concession Stand Business? – A Complete Guide

Matrix Organizational Structure – What Are Its Pros And Cons?

In a matrix organizational structure, the teams within an organization try to bring different roles within the team together. Doing so, unlike a traditional hierarchical structure, they develop a grid-like reporting structure. Basically, the organization combines two or more structures from within. Here, both the traditional hierarchy of management as well as inter-department management is combined. In this article, you will learn in general about a matrix organizational structure and how it works within an organization. In addition to this, we will also discuss the major pros and cons of this organizational structure. Apart from that, we will also discuss the major roles within a matrix organizational structure. Hence, to find out more about such an organizational structure read out through to the end of the article. What Is A Matrix Organizational Structure? The matrix organizational structure basically combines two or more kinds of organizational structure. For example, let’s say you combine project management and functional management. According to Indeed.com, “Additionally, the matrix structure is composed of both a traditional hierarchy of management, where employees are managed by a functional manager, as well as additional project managers who can manage employees across different departments. These two or more managerial systems intersect on a grid or matrix.” In this organizational structure, different management styles are used - where the functional management as well as the divisional management are combined. Here, functional management consists of the traditional hierarchical structure based on the job function and the organization’s department. On the other hand, a divisional manager is the one who presides over the cross-functional team, which consists of representatives of both teams. The matrix organizational structure combines the functional and the divisional managers. This helps the work processes to be done faster. According to the Wall Street Mojo website, “In a matrix structure, team members provide information to a project leader and their department head. This management structure might assist businesses in developing new goods and services without reorganizing teams.” The matrix organizational structure was started in the aerospace industry. This was the time when many firms wanted to get into a contract with US Government employees. They needed to create certain charts that show the structure of the project management team. How Does A Matrix Organizational Structure Work? This structure is best understood with the help of an example. According to ChartHop.com, “At the simplest level, an example of an organization using a matrix structure would be one that has set functional teams (e.g. Marketing, Sales, Customer Success) as well as more divisional teams with members from different functional areas that work together on specific initiatives.” A common example of a matric organizational structure is Nike. The company has teams that operate the functional management like merchandising and HR, as well as divisional teams that operate based on location, demographics, and product. Companies and their employees can get a lot of advantages with the matrix structure, especially with the ways that they work within the organization. The teams can share knowledge with each other and can make more informed decisions. Apart from that, the best thing that they will have is better morale within themselves. However, there are problems that you can find inside a matrix organizational structure, too. Some of them include conflict, slowdown of processes, lack of clarity, and more. What Are The Pros Of A Matrix Organizational Structure? According to LinkedIn.com, “One of the main advantages of a matrix structure is that it allows for more flexibility and adaptability to changing customer needs, market conditions, and strategic goals. By creating cross-functional teams that work on specific projects or tasks, a matrix structure can leverage the diverse skills, knowledge, and perspectives of employees from different departments, and foster innovation and creativity.” The intricacy of the matrix organizational structure is one of its main characteristics. You can see from the above sections that the employees are answerable to two managers - functional and project managers. This is because the allocation of resources is in such a way that the human resources are utilized at their highest. The following are some of the major pros of a matrix organizational structure: The departments are able to coordinate better, as the structure brings highly competent team members from different departments to one place. One of the major characteristics of a matrix organizational structure is that it combines the operational and project management frameworks. The communication between two or more departments gets better with the implementation of the matrix organizational structure. What Are The Cons Of A Matrix Organizational Structure? Like most management structures, the matrix organizational structure also has its drawbacks. Here are some of the cons of the matrix organizational structure that you will need to be aware of: There is a continuous need for clarification for the managers regarding their positions, and there are ambiguities in some cases. Hence, there is always a need to define the power dynamics between managers. Apart from the managers, the teams also need clarification regarding their roles in the structure. The individual team members should have a good idea of what their role is at the functional level and what their role is at the project level. This helps in reducing miscommunication between the members. In some cases, due to the involvement of different teams and departments, the decision-making processes can get a bit longer. Apart from that, time is taken since decisions regarding processes need to be made through two different managers. Hence, processes such as quality assurance slow down due to the presence of multiple supervisors. Read More: Entrepreneur : Who Coined The Term ‘Entrepreneur’? Wrapping Up Hope this article was helpful for you in getting a better idea of what a matrix organizational structure is. This structure is best suited for large organizations or organizations that deal with multiple projects. Due to the multiple needs of the organization, the managers can shuffle teams and bring personnel from different departments to work together. The matrix organizational structure helps in better coordination between departments and ensures a better quality of products and services. Do you have anything to add regarding this type of organizational structure? Share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comments section below. Read More: What Is Social Entrepreneurship? – Steps To Become A Successful Social Entrepreneur What Is A Venture Capitalist, And What Are Their Functions? What Is a Franchise, And How Does It Work? – Examples, Benefits & More

LLC VS Sole Proprietorship: Major Differences That You Need To Know

LLC Vs Sole Proprietorship: What is right for you? - Whether you are starting a new business or an online store, you will need to choose the right legal structure for your business based on your choice and needs. Both LLCs and sole proprietorships are quite common. The business model you choose might have a big impact on how you run your company, especially as seen from the tax, legal, and management perspectives. In this article, you will learn about two major types of business structures - LLC and Sole Proprietorship. We will first discuss each of these business structures individually in brief. Finally, we will share the major differences between the two in regard to structure, function, role of the owner(s), etc. Hence, to learn more about these two types of business structures, read on through to the end of the article. What Is An LLC? According to Investopedia, “A limited liability company (LLC) is a business structure in the U.S. that protects its owners from personal responsibility for its debts or liabilities. Limited liability companies are hybrid entities that combine the characteristics of a corporation with those of a partnership or sole proprietorship.” The LLC is basically a corporate structure where the owners of the organization protect their place from the liabilities of the company. Here, the company is a different entity from that of the owner. In case of debts, liabilities, and lawsuits, the structure of the organization protects the owners by making them limitedly liable. However, what the regulation of the LLC is depends on the state in the US where your business is located. Apart from banks and insurance companies, any individual or entity can be a member of an LLC. Whatever profits LLCs make, they do not pay taxes directly on the profits. The profits and losses of the LLC are passed through to members of the organization, that report on their individual tax returns. Read More: Micro vs Macro Economics: What’s The Difference? What Is A Sole Proprietorship? According to the Forbes Advisor, “A sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business that’s owned by the individual running it. A sole proprietorship is the default choice for anyone who runs a business but hasn’t set up another formal business structure like an LLC. As a sole proprietor, there’s no separation between your personal and business assets and expenses. You are personally responsible for all your business’s debts and obligations.” This is the simplest form of business. It is basically an unincorporated business with only one owner. Apart from that, this business is also the least expensive to form. A business, by default, is a sole proprietorship if an individual operates the business on his own. For example, if you are an individual shopkeeper, freelancer, retailer, or online business owner, you automatically become a sole proprietor of the business. In this case, you will not need to adopt a business structure from the first. Furthermore, if the name of the business is the same as the name of the owner, then the business is typically a sole proprietorship. However, any sole proprietorship can also operate under a trade name or a brand name. The best thing about a sole proprietorship is that the business and the business owner are not legally separate. Hence, if the business incurs debts, the owner of the business is personally responsible for making the payments for the debt. LLC Vs Sole Proprietorship: What Are The Differences? The major difference is rightly noted by Wall Street Mojo - “LLC is a separate legal entity run by its members having limited liability, and it is mandatory for an LLC to get registered, whereas sole proprietorship is a sort of business arm of an individual which is not separate from its owner; hence its liabilities are not limited, and there is no need to register sole proprietor.” The following are the major differences between LLCs and sole proprietorships: Limited Liability CompanySole ProprietorshipThe company has more than one owner.A single owner of the business runs a single unit.The business and the members are separate entities in an LLC structure.The business and the owner are not separate in a sole proprietorship.The members of the business need to register as per state regulations if they want to form an LLC.The owner of a sole proprietorship needs to ensure that the business name is not the same as another business in the state.It costs around $100 to $800 to form an LLC.There are no costs to form a sole proprietorship.The taxation method is single. A single applicable rate is charged to the members.The taxes of the sole proprietorship are charged from the income of the sole owner. The owner’s taxes and the business taxes are the same here.The members of the LLC are liable only as far as their investments and shares in the business.The owner of a sole proprietorship is fully responsible for the entire business. Furthermore, the owner also does not get liability protection.There is little paperwork to be done.There is no paperwork involved. The best option for you, if you are starting out as a business owner, is to go with a sole proprietorship. If you want to grow a bit more, then changing the structure of your business to an LLC will be a better option. Read More: Vertical vs Horizontal Integration: What Are The Key Differences? Final Thoughts LLC vs Sole proprietorship - Hope you have understood the differences between these two types of business structures. If you are starting out as a business owner, consultant, or freelancer, then sole proprietorship is the easiest and simplest option for you. The paperwork that is required is very minimal, and there are no big costs associated. However, if the business grows bigger and you need legal protection for yourself and your personal assets, LLC is the option to go for. In case of bankruptcy or a legal lawsuit against the business, you do not get involved. Furthermore, there is tax flexibility too. What do you think is the better option of the two? Share your opinions with us in the comments section below. Discover More Business Insights Below! What Is Net Operating Income? How To Calculate NOI? Vertical vs Horizontal Integration: What Are The Key Differences? What Is A Holding Company? – Importance, Operation, And Pros & Cons

Business Continuity Plan – What Is It, And How Does It Work?

What Is A Business Continuity Plan?

How Does A Business Continuity Plan Work?

What Are The Benefits Of Having A Business Continuity Plan?