on 19-Feb-2025 (Wed)

THE MODERN U.S. CORPORATION WAS BORN IN A COURTROOM in Washington, D.C., on February 2, 1819. On that day the U.S. Supreme Court established the legal precedent that the property of a corporation, like that of a person, is private and entitled to protection under the U.S. Constitution.

A sole proprietorship is a business owned and run by one person. Sole proprietorships are usually very small with few, if any, employees. Although they do not account for much sales revenue in the economy, they are the most common type of firm in the world, as shown in Figure 1.1. Statistics indicate that nearly 72% of businesses in the United States are sole proprietorships, although they generate only 4% of the revenue.2 Contrast this with corpo- rations, which make up under 18% of firms but are responsible for 82% of U.S. revenue.

A partnership is identical to a sole proprietorship except it has more than one owner.