A business (also called a company, firm and enterprise) is a

legally recognized organization designed to provide goods and

or services to consumers. Businesses are predominant in

capitalist economies, most being privately owned and formed

to earn profit that will increase the wealth of its owners and

grow the business itself. The owners and operators of a

business have as one of their main objectives the receipt or

generation of a financial return in exchange for work and
 
acceptance of risk. Notable exceptions include cooperative

enterprises and state owned enterprises. Socialist systems

involve either government agencies, public ownership, state-

ownership or direct worker ownership of enterprises and assets
 
that would be run as businesses in a capitalist economy. The

distinction between these institutions and a business is that

socialist institutions often have alternative or additional goals

aside from maximizing or turning a profit.

The etymology of "business" relates to the state of being busy

either as an individual or society as a whole, doing commercially

viable and profitable work. The term "business" has at least
 
three usages, depending on the scope — the singular usage

(above) to mean a particular company or corporation, the

generalized usage to refer to a particular market sector, such

as "the music business" and compound forms such as

agribusiness, or the broadest meaning to include all activity

by the community of suppliers of goods and services.

However, the exact definition of business, like much else in
 
the philosophy of business, is a matter of debate.

 Business Studies, the study of the management of individuals
 
to maintain collective productivity to accomplish particular

creative and productive goals (usually to generate profit), is

taught as an academic subject in many schools.