Glossary Terms:

Using advertisements (public notices, displays or presentations often based on celebrity endorsements, appeals to authority, bandwagon effects and attractive imagery) to promote the sale of goods or services.

One of many choices or courses of action that might be taken in a given situation.

Beliefs or statements presupposed to be true.

A trade name used to identify a product produced by a particular company, distinguishing it from similar products produced by competitors.

Any activity or organization that produces or exchanges goods or services for a profit.

A description of an enterprise including its name, its goals and objectives, the product(s) sold and distributed, the work skills needed to produce those products, and the marketing strategies used to promote them.

Decision made or course of action taken when faced with a set of alternatives.

Attempts by two or more individuals or organizations to acquire the same goods, services, or productive and financial resources. Consumers compete with other consumers for goods and services. Producers compete with other producers for sales to consumers.

People who use goods and services to satisfy their personal needs and not for resale or in the production of other goods and services.

An amount that must be paid or spent to buy or obtain something. The effort, loss or sacrifice necessary to achieve or obtain something.

A conclusion reached after considering alternatives and their results.

The quantity of a good or service that buyers are willing and able to buy at all possible prices during a period of time.

The allocation or dividing up of the goods and services a society produces.

One who draws upon his or her skills and initiative to launch a new business venture with the aim of making a profit. Often a risk-taker, inclined to see opportunity when others do not.

Something a person or organization plans to achieve in the future; an aim or desired result.

The process of putting money someplace with the intention of making a financial gain. Investment possibilities include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, and other financial instruments or ventures.

The purchase of capital goods (including machinery, technology or new buildings) that are used to produce goods and services. In personal finance, the amount of money invested in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investment instruments.

Anything that is generally accepted as final payment for goods and services; serves as a medium of exchange, a store of value and a standard of value. Characteristics of money are portability, stability in value, uniformity, durability and acceptance.

A good or service that can be used to satisfy a want.

Income received for entrepreneurial skills and risk taking, calculated by subtracting all of a firm's explicit and implicit costs from its total revenues.

Property such as land, houses and office buildings.

Economic regulation is the prescription of price and output for a specific industry, often a natural monopoly. Social regulation is the prescription of health, safety, performance, environmental, output and job standards across several industries.

The basic kinds of resources used to produce goods and services: land or natural resources, human resources (including labor and entrepreneurship), and capital.

The chance of losing money.

An exchange of goods or services for money.

Activities performed by people, firms or government agencies to satisfy economic wants.

Use money now to buy goods and services.

The amount of a good or service that producers are willing and able to offer for sale at each possible price during a given period of time.

The exchange of goods and services for money or other goods and services.

Effort applied to achieve a purpose or result, often for pay; skills and knowledge put to use to get something done; employment at a job or in a position; occupation, profession, business, trade, craft, etc.