There are five main causes of business risk: 1) Natural causes such as heavy rain, famine, or earthquakes. 2) Human causes like theft, strikes or negligence. 3) Economic causes including changes in demand, prices or market conditions. 4) Political causes such as changes in government policies around taxation, import/export or licensing. 5) Managerial causes like poor planning, lack of research, or mismanagement. Business risks refer to possible losses that are outside a business's control and can adversely impact the business.