List and characterize the three types of firms. Solution There are basically three forms of firms which can be classified on basis of business ownership- sole proprietorship, partnership and corporation. a. Sole Proprietorship- It is an enterprise owned and run by a single person. Not only it is easy to set up but is also least costly among the three types of firms. However, the owner of the business has unlimited liability i.e. personal assets of the entrepreneur can be attached to the business if the business goes bankrupt. b. Partnership form involves two or more persons owning and running a business. The profits are split among the partners in an agreed upon ratio. Partnerships may have limited or unlimited liability depending on the owners. c. Corporation is a firm in which the ownership is split among many people. An example would be the listed companies on the stock market. The owners have limited liability in the sense that their own assets cannot be attached to pay off company\'s debt. There is a separation of ownership from management. The owners elect the board of directors who form the management of the company. Cooperative Societies and Limited Liability Company are two of the variants of a corporation..