Advantages and Disadvantages of Business Ownership and Starting a Business

Read these sections for more detail about starting a business and some of the advantages and disadvantages in store for small business owners.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Business Ownership

EXERCISE

  1. (AACSB) Analysis

First, identify five advantages of small business ownership. Next, rank these advantages according to their importance to you. Why did you rank them as you did? What factors discourage individuals from small business ownership? Indicate which of these factors might discourage you from starting a business. Explain why.


  1. (AACSB) Analysis

Because you're convinced that the best way to get rich is to work for yourself, you're thinking about starting your own business. You have an idea and $100,000 that you just inherited from a great-aunt. You even have a location: Palo Alto, California, which (according to a Forbes magazine article) is the best place in the United States to get rich. But there's a downside: to move to California and start your own business, you'll have to drop out of college. What financial risks should you consider in making your decision? What are your chances of succeeding with your plan? Are you willing to take the financial risk needed to start a business? Why, or why not? Are you really likely to make more money running your own business than working for someone else?