1 Business Structure and Financial Statements Business Structure and Financial Statements If you want to be your own boss and grow in the business world, then opening a business would be the best option. Anyone can choose to do this, but everyone involved must know there options and the essential documentation needed. The person selecting to pursue opening a business would want to go through some of the disadvantages and advantages of each type of structure they could choose. The options include sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, and corporations. Once a person has selected the right structure for there business then it is essential to know how to operate it legally through proper documentation. Financial statements are needed for record keeping for the company to track their assets, financial ability, income and more. Advantages and Disadvantages of Legal Categories Business structure is a general word that is used to describe groups of organizations which are legally registered under law following a given jurisdiction and characterized legally under certain category to conduct commercial activities (Rogers, 2012). There are several business structures which operate under law to carry our business activities to satisfy the demand and supply of goods and services for consumers. The most common business types are sole proprietorship, partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies (Garzon, 2014). Every type of business structures has their advantages and disadvantages. The two simplest are Sole Proprietorship and Partnerships. Sole Proprietorship is when you plan to operate the business alone. Advantages to this are that it is low cost and has little legal requirement to start it up. There are also simple taxes at the end of the year. The disadvantages of this are that you are reliable for everything and work alone. There are no protections to personal assets, so if there is significant debt that will not be able to be paid back, lenders can come back and take everything. A Partnership is an arrangement between two parties that states they are co owners of the business. Some advantages to this that there are no legal formalities and no business taxes. Also, it can be less stressful as you have a partner to collaborate with ideas and business plans. There is also combined capital when starting up which can be very helpful. Some disadvantages can include the share of profits, more liabilities, the risk of joint responsibilities and delay in decision making. There also is the possibility of disagreement to different elements like person work ethic, personality, and how they would run the business. The more advanced business structures are Partnerships and Limited Liability Corporations(LLC). Corporations has more advantages than disadvantages because it is a fully functioned business organization that has many workers. There is no liability to the employee except everyone must comply to all policies and guidelines.

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Business Structure and Financial Statements
Business Structure and Financial Statements
If you want to be your own boss and grow in the business
world, then opening a business would be the best option.
Anyone can choose to do this, but everyone involved must know
there options and the essential documentation needed. The
person selecting to pursue opening a business would want to go
through some of the disadvantages and advantages of each type
of structure they could choose. The options include sole
proprietorship, partnership, LLC, and corporations. Once a
person has selected the right structure for there business then it
is essential to know how to operate it legally through proper
documentation. Financial statements are needed for record
keeping for the company to track their assets, financial ability,
income and more.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Legal Categories
Business structure is a general word that is used to describe
groups of organizations which are legally registered under law

2. following a given jurisdiction and characterized legally under
certain category to conduct commercial activities (Rogers,
2012). There are several business structures which operate
under law to carry our business activities to satisfy the demand
and supply of goods and services for consumers. The most
common business types are sole proprietorship, partnerships,
corporations and limited liability companies (Garzon, 2014).
Every type of business structures has their advantages and
disadvantages. The two simplest are Sole Proprietorship and
Partnerships. Sole Proprietorship is when you plan to operate
the business alone. Advantages to this are that it is low cost and
has little legal requirement to start it up. There are also simple
taxes at the end of the year. The disadvantages of this are that
you are reliable for everything and work alone. There are no
protections to personal assets, so if there is significant debt that
will not be able to be paid back, lenders can come back and take
everything. A Partnership is an arrangement between two
parties that states they are co owners of the business. Some
advantages to this that there are no legal formalities and no
business taxes. Also, it can be less stressful as you have a
partner to collaborate with ideas and business plans. There is
also combined capital when starting up which can be very
helpful. Some disadvantages can include the share of profits,
more liabilities, the risk of joint responsibilities and delay in
decision making. There also is the possibility of disagreement
to different elements like person work ethic, personality, and
how they would run the business.
The more advanced business structures are Partnerships and
Limited Liability Corporations(LLC). Corporations has more
advantages than disadvantages because it is a fully functioned
business organization that has many workers. There is no
liability to the employee except everyone must comply to all
policies and guidelines issued by the organization. In addition,
the company provides incentives such as medical and dental
benefits, vacation and sick pay, possible bonuses, 401K plans,
etc. However, there are some disadvantages of working for

3. corporations. For example, the company may shut down due to
bankruptcy which leave workers unemployed. Also most
companies are considered "at will" in which a worker could be
terminated at any given time without notice. Limited Liability
Corporation is similar to regular corporations but have different
legal entities. Again there are more advantages then
disadvantage to this type of structure. Some advantages include
a member is only liable for the amount of the investment.
Profits can be distributed to members without the double
taxations, personal income can receive dividends. Can also
pass-through entity for taxes.
Own Personal Business
If I were to start my own business, I would choose a
partnership. I would need to have a formal agreement that
would define the relationship and operations of the business.
Since I do not have a lot of experience, I prefer to have
someone close to me that has experience and can teach me as we
go. Having a partnership means that there is both personal and
joint liability which means any liability will be severe towards
both parties so trust and communication would be required. It is
most beneficial to have a limited partnership because if there
were conflicts that caused a loss, I would only lose the amount
that I have invested. I am a very cautious and think about any
consequences that could happen so I want to make sure I take
calculated risks so that I can learn and grow from any obstacles
that the business may come across. I would want to be an equal
partner in the business, which means I want to take part in every
decision in order to grow on by opportunities and grow and
offer my strengths. If the company is thriving, then I would
invest more to build it up to the next structure.
Financial Statements
"A partnership must follow generally accepted accounting
principles when reporting its financial transactions and creating
financial statements" (Rogers,2012). To accurately report these
transactions, the business must create and maintain four critical
financial statements that allow for them to measure and report

4. the performance of a company. Those included are the balance
sheet, the income statement, the statement of equity, and the
statement of cash flows. The balance sheet is needed to record
assets, liabilities, and partner's equity. The income statement
shows what income is coming in and what expenses are getting
taken out of the investment. The statement of equity shows how
much money the business has after all the debts have been paid.
The Cash Flow Statement shows how much money is coming in
and how the money is going over a time period. This often
Indicates that the business can cover its obligations.
Conclusion
When starting a business, there are several types of
organizations to choose from which include sole proprietorship,
partnership, and corporations. A sole proprietorship is a
business that is owned by one person. Two or more parties are
considered a partnership. Then there is a corporation, that
means they have more more taxes, more employees, can enter
into contracts and be sued or sue someone else. There are many
disadvantages and advantages of each structure which plays a
role in how a person can decide on what type of structure they
would open a business. Once selected, financial statements help
companies to keep track of how money comes and goes out. It
enables you to keep track of assets and liabilities along with the
net income of the company.
Reference:
Brooks, R. (2016). Financial Managment: Core Concepts (3rd.
ed.). Pearson.
Garzon, M. (2014, July 31). Running a Web Design business:
Defining your Business Structure. Retrieved from Lynda:
https://www.lynda.com/Web-Design-tutorials/Running-Web-
Design-Business-Defining-Your-Business-Structure/163952-
2.html

5. Ginsberg, L. (1998, Aug 31). How to pick a business structure
that works. The Globe and Mail.
Rogers, T. (2012, Nov). Bank market structure and
entrepreneurship . Small Business Economics, 39(4), 909-920.