# data[].attributes.body
To properly staff and run your business, create an organization chart that includes the primary business functions any company must have to maximize its success. Small business owners often make the mistake of creating jobs for the people they have, rather than putting employees into positions the business needs. The administration function of a business is a macro function that oversees all other functions. Many small businesses combine administrative and IT functions, hiring a part-time IT manager. Depending on the size of the business and amount of customer care needed, the administrative staff might manage customer service, too. Sales and marketing are often combined, although they are very different functions. The administrative staff usually includes the CEO or president, COO -- chief operating officer -- and secretarial staff.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Small business can combine primary business functions for streamlined operations.

Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images

Small business owners often make the mistake of creating jobs for the people they have, rather than putting employees into positions the business needs. To properly staff and run your business, create an organization chart that includes the primary business functions any company must have to maximize its success. You can call these departments by different names and combine them, but your organization should include sales, administration, marketing, finance, operations, human resources and IT, or information technology.

Administration

The administration function of a business is a macro function that oversees all other functions. The administrative staff usually includes the CEO or president, COO -- chief operating officer -- and secretarial staff. This is the function through which corporate policies are made and communicated. The administrative staff oversee tasks that relate to the company, but not any specific department, such as negotiating and paying rent, ordering office supplies and handling business licenses, permits and zoning. Depending on the size of the business and amount of customer care needed, the administrative staff might manage customer service, too.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing are often combined, although they are very different functions. Your marketing department determines what type of product or service you'll offer, sets your pricing strategy, creates your brand, determines where you'll sell your product and creates and executes your advertising, public relations and promotions campaigns. A sales department sells your product or service. Sales personnel work hand in hand with the marketing department to provide vital information on customer needs, competition and market trends. At smaller companies, sales representatives service and support their customers after the sale. Because of its involvement with product development, the marketing department handles research and development at small businesses, often working with the administrative executives who are founders or experts in the industry or profession.

Finance and Human Resources

Many small businesses combine their finance and human resources departments. Bookkeeping might not require a staff member's full time, allowing that person to handle employee hiring, benefits management, corporate policies and other employee-related tasks.

Information Technology

Even small businesses need a dedicated IT person these days, based on the amount of technology in today's offices. This person must be able to network the company's computers, keep them running and safe and ensure employee email functions smoothly. The IT function might include maintenance of the company's website and phone system. Many small businesses combine administrative and IT functions, hiring a part-time IT manager.

Operations and Manufacturing

Depending on your product or service, you might need a manufacturing or operations department. This function oversees the physical plant of a manufacturing facility and its materials needs, work schedule and production processes. At a restaurant, this function might be the kitchen, managed by the executive chef. At some small companies, the administrative executives take the role of the operations team.

About the Author

Sam Ashe-Edmunds has been writing and lecturing for decades. He has worked in the corporate and nonprofit arenas as a C-Suite executive, serving on several nonprofit boards. He is an internationally traveled sport science writer and lecturer. He has been published in print publications such as Entrepreneur, Tennis, SI for Kids, Chicago Tribune, Sacramento Bee, and on websites such Smart-Healthy-Living.net, SmartyCents and Youthletic. Edmunds has a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Photo Credits

Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Small business owners often make the mistake of creating jobs for the people they have, rather than putting employees into positions the business needs. To properly staff and run your business, create an organization chart that includes the primary business functions any company must have to maximize its success. You ...

# data[].attributes.headline
Why Do People Start Businesses? It's Not What You Think

# data[].attributes.subject
Why Do People Start Businesses? It's Not What You Think

# data[].attributes.body
The author of this article says that it is actually hard to start a business. I agree, because you need to spend money to make money when it comes to entrepreneurship. That method is called making profits.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As the author of a book called " Not Just a Living," about lifestyle entrepreneurs, and a former long-time columnist on the same topic for The Wall Street Journal's Startup Journal online publication, I have long taken the position that people start businesses primarily in search of independence. Years ago I'd seen several surveys asking entrepreneurs about the particular carrots they were chasing. Terms like "independence" and "self-determination" and "freedom" seemed to almost always rank at or near the top. That settled it, as far as I was concerned.

Actually, it's more complicated. Recent research indicates that entrepreneurs' motivations vary along several different axes. If you know what industry they are in, what type of company they have founded and what country they are in, you can make some generalizations. Otherwise, it's almost as if every entrepreneur has a different reason for going into business.

If you look only at people who have started fast-growth businesses, for instance, you find people whose biggest single motivation is wealth creation, according to this 2009 study for the Kauffman Foundation. When researchers quizzed 549 company founders in 12 high-growth industries, "build wealth" was the strongest factor in starting a company. Other motivators included capitalizing on a business idea, the appeal of a startup culture, a desire to own a company, and lack of interest in working for someone else. Only the last resembles a desire for independence.

Fast-growth entrepreneurs are, of course, a minority. But even when we examine the vast, amorphous, heaving body of small business owners, we don't find that independence and the freedom to make their own decisions is the only, or even the main reason people start businesses.

In 2006, a worldwide poll of more than 4,000 small-business owners found the most common motivation for going into business, cited by 70 percent, was making enough money to cover living expenses. Sixty-four percent mentioned a desire to have more control over the future, which may or may not be equivalent to a desire for independence.

To me the most interesting finding comes from this second survey. It found that in countries where individual freedom is highly prized, independence is, indeed, the main reason for starting a business. That's true in the U.S., for instance. American entrepreneurs are the world's most likely, at 67 percent, to say that being their own boss is an important motivator.

Elsewhere, it's different. Brazilians were most likely to cite providing employment (71 percent) and contributing to society or the community (64 percent) as important motivations. In China, small business owners were the most likely, at 59 percent, to say that an important motivation was to build something that can be passed on to family members. So only Americans are most likely to go into business in search of independence.

Meanwhile, a scholarly research study from the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research basically found that what motivates entrepreneurs is a belief that chances for success are pretty good. The authors report that risk tolerance, self-efficacy -- the ability to get things done, including start businesses -- and perceived net desirability are major predictors of self-employment intentions.

Those net desirability calculations involve trading independence and wealth creation off against the chances of failure and bankruptcy, among other factors. But what it comes down to is that people become entrepreneurs, not strictly because they want to, but because they can. What does this mean to the wannabe entrepreneur? Essentially, whatever reason you have is as good as any other. You don't have to want to imitate Michael Dell to be like Mike.

Mark Henricks has reported on business, technology and other topics for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and other leading publications. Follow him on Twitter
Image courtesy of Flickr user Robert Couse-Baker, CC2.0

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Do People Start Businesses? It's Not What You Think

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As the author of a book called " Not Just a Living," about lifestyle entrepreneurs, and a former long-time columnist on the same topic for The Wall Street Journal's Startup Journal online publication, I have long taken the position that people start businesses primarily in search of independence.

# data[].attributes.body
Road to 50 subscribers!!

# data[].attributes.headline
What is the difference between a Consumer and a Customer?

# data[].attributes.subject
What is the difference between a Consumer and a Customer?

# data[].attributes.body
A consumer uses the products of a business.

A customer buys a business's products.
You can actually be both a customer and a consumer in one business transaction.

Example: You log onto the Apple website to purchase the new iPhone 7.

# data[].attributes.body
Consumers uses a business's products.

# data[].attributes.body
Customers buys products from a business.

# data[].attributes.body
The primary purpose of a business is to maximize profits for its owners or stakeholders while maintaining corporate social responsibility.