Why do Corporations exist?

Anyone?

What "should be" their motivation?

"SHOULD BE?"

Business exists to make a profit by serving customer demand in the most efficient way possible.

Business does NOT exist to make sure employees have a job or bennies. Business does NOT exist to make sure government has a tax base.

So why do the OWS people insist that Corporations are the problem?

What do you know about the motivations for people starting businesses? It varies from person to person of course. Do you have a business yourself?

My motivation when I started my business (IT-related) certainly wasn't the above. My wife's business (Veterinary Clinic) wasn't either. Yes, it's partly about profits but also about creating something, building something, employing people, contributing something to the world and lots of other motivations/reasons.

I recommend watching the documentary called "The corporation". It deals with this problem in a historical perspective.

IMO, it's because they're BEING TOLD to insist that.

For protection from lawsuits...you can sue the corporation but not the owner directly...they can take your business but not your house and assets...

Your wife can easily be a vet without the hassles of owning her how clinic.

Just wait until your expenses are such that once you cover all the costs and endure all the hassles of business ownership, your employees actually take home MORE than you do. We'll see how well you enjoy employing people when you find yourselves working for them!

In the end, if the cash-flow isn't there, it won't work. No amount of "I feel so good" will matter if you can't make money - PERIOD. Wanna know why most businesses fail in the first five years???? It's because people go into it with ideas just like the ones you describe here.

You're exactly right, but he asked different questions in the title and in the body of the post.

This

So should profit be eliminated in order to continue providing jobs?

Should the government force business to focus on jobs at all costs?

It's because corporations represent a freedom that are unique to corporations. Corporations are entitled to do business in ways that the common man is not able to. They can sell goods in ways nobody else can. They have elevated rights, not because they are superior but because the leftists have been successful at stripping away rights from individuals through so called entitlement programs that enslave us, but aren't quite as successful when doing the same to corporations. This represents a big problem. Bailouts, secret loans, etc, are all part of a corporate "welfare program" designed not to help the corporations but to break them down, weaken them and destroy capitalism. You can't impliment socialism/communism with very free corporations running around producing products or services exactly how they please.

Ultimately to provide a living for yourself and your family...that usually involves hiring people to help you as most businesses can't be operated by one person...unfortunately, if you wish to stay in business you must pay taxes...

You're right Brief.

I used Corporation in the subject line to catch attention since the OWS people hate them so much.

But the question really pertains to all business.

The OWSers seem to think that businesses only exist to provide jobs for the public and that profit is evil.

Absolutely not. The leftist bird-brain view of this, "why not?" but it's obvious to anyone with a love of freedom why this does more harm than good. First, you completely violate the rights of the people running the corporation and literally, LITERALLY enslave them to the whims of the state. This should send shockwaves down anyone's spine but this the problem we have today in the world, so many are blind to the obvious truths and dangers they willingly accept and even want more corruption and moral hazards because it's just a big blame game anyway. If they burn down a village, destroy an industry, who cares, they are getting theirs, and the village/industry isn't, so there.

You start a business to make an income to support your family. You incorporate your business to protect your personal property from legal action and for certain tax benefits. As a corporation you may issue preferred and common stock or bonds to raise capital for the business.

A business that doesn't make a profit is classified as a hobby, and therefore can't afford to employ anyone.

Not only "SHOULDN'T" it be done. IT CANNOT BE DONE. They can try, but everyone will soon be out of work if it becomes national economic policy - which, we can see right now.

So if my business/corporation is making good money and I decide to hire someone to run it for me (a CEO) and I pay him say, 2M per year.

Is that wrong?

Of course not, if you paid him minimum wage he's likely to rob you blind...there has to be proper motivation for him to work hard to grow and maintain your business...

Plus, you want only the best in the field to run your business, and with knowledge and skill comes a higher price tag...you are paid what you are worth...

Last Edited by BRIEF on 10/18/2011 09:50 AM

This me and my wife know all to well. But businesses fail in the first five years for lot's of different reasons. One of the most common is you don't watch your cash-flow/liquidity for money is the "petrol in the engine". You don't seem to like "I-feel-so-good" very much. You actually come across as a bit cynical. The image that businesses ONLY exist to make profit is overly simplistic. Think about Apple for example. Do you think Steve Jobs was in business ONLY to make profit?

I'm sure that was his driving force.

Do you think he would have done all he did if he were making 35K per year?

is this a question about morality or business?

...


He wanted to change the world. He wanted to make beautiful things. He had a vision, and his vision was NOT a big pile of money.

For running a business cash-flow is essential. It is the "petrol in the engine", and I have learnt this the hard way. But where you want to go with that petrol is a whole other matter. (It is for me at least)

What I disagree with here is the simplistic notion that the motivation for running corporations is only one thing and "SHOULD BE" only one thing.

One "culprit" here is maybe Ayn Rand who in my view reduced the world to a very simple, almost caricature-like image.

If he makes the shareholders $100M per year and you're only paying him $2M, then he'd probably leave and go somewhere else.

There is nothing immoral about paying someone a high salary, what that person does with it may have moral issues...

I am not against "feeling good" about what you do, but it won't pay the bills. If "feeling good" about what you do is your primary driver, volunteer for the Peace Corps.

Good ideas grow. People buy stuff. Thats why corps exist.
A corp cant exist if their is nobody to buy things.

Also, corps exist because driven people that want to do good in life give 110%. The same type of person that works as a cashier does not have the same mind set as a driven person that will succeed no matter what. Most people just want to work 9-5 and go home. Other people will stop at nothing to be successful.

Their motivation is usually to succeed... to be successful and all that comes with that. There are also different ways a corp can start up, bill gates-in basement, Sikorsky - passed down from great inventor to family... I dont think most people start out thinking... Im going to make an international corp and become a billionaire. They probably just start with a simple base idea.

Its your company, you can pay what ever you want. But having a position that will pay 2M a year will attract the best of the best, and if that person dosnt pan out, then fire his ass.

Its not wrong or right, its your decision. its your money to spend. some people will do a better job and will only expect 200K , depends on the person.

Because hippies need something to be pissed at