This document discusses the external environmental factors that affect businesses. It identifies micro and macro factors in the external environment. Micro factors include customers, competitors, suppliers, marketing intermediaries, financiers, and the public - all of which have a direct influence on business performance. Macro factors comprise the broader political, socio-cultural, economic, technological, natural, demographic, and global environments. The document then examines each micro factor in more detail, focusing on how businesses must understand customer demands, consider competitors, choose reliable suppliers, utilize marketing channels, obtain financing, and engage with the public.