What is the difference between a good and a service?

A good is a physical product you can touch, like a phone or a chocolate bar. A service is an intangible action or task performed for you, like a haircut or a bus journey. Businesses may produce goods, services, or both. For example, a restaurant provides both food (good) and service (waiting staff).

Why do businesses add value?

Businesses add value to make a profit. By turning raw materials into something more desirable—through branding, design, convenience, or quality—they can charge a higher price than the cost of inputs. Added value also helps a business stand out from competitors and build customer loyalty.

What are the factors of production?

The factors of production are the resources needed to produce goods and services: land (natural resources like oil or fields), labour (workers' effort), capital (machinery, tools, buildings), and enterprise (the entrepreneur's idea and risk-taking). All four must be combined to create output.

What is opportunity cost in business?

Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative that is given up when a choice is made. For example, if a business spends £10,000 on new equipment, the opportunity cost might be the marketing campaign it could have run instead. Understanding opportunity cost helps businesses make better decisions.

What is the difference between the private and public sector?

The private sector consists of businesses owned by individuals or shareholders, aiming to make a profit (e.g., Tesco, Apple). The public sector includes organisations owned by the government, providing essential services like healthcare (NHS) or education (state schools), often funded by taxes and not profit-driven.

How does business activity create wealth?

Business activity creates wealth by combining factors of production to produce goods and services that are worth more than the inputs. This added value generates income for employees (wages), owners (profit), and the government (taxes). It also leads to economic growth, higher living standards, and employment opportunities.

Business activity

WJEC

GCSE

Business operations focuses on the efficient management of key functions and resources to maximize profit. It covers production methods, quality management, supply chain logistics, and the sales process, emphasizing how these operations must integrate with other business functions to achieve organizational aims.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

Topic Overview

Business activity is the foundation of the WJEC GCSE Business course, covering the purpose and nature of business. It explains why businesses exist—to satisfy customer needs and wants by producing goods or services—and how they add value through the production process. This topic introduces key concepts like the factors of production (land, labour, capital, enterprise) and the difference between the private and public sectors. Understanding business activity is crucial because it sets the stage for all other topics, from marketing to finance, by showing how businesses operate within the economy.

Students will explore the role of entrepreneurs and the risks they take, as well as the objectives businesses might have, such as profit maximisation, growth, or social goals. The topic also covers the concept of opportunity cost—the next best alternative forgone when making a decision—which is a fundamental economic principle. By grasping these ideas, students can analyse real-world business decisions and understand how businesses contribute to wealth creation and employment.

This topic fits into the wider subject by providing the 'big picture' of business. It links to later topics like business ownership (sole traders, partnerships, companies) and the external environment (economic factors, competition). Mastery of business activity helps students see how every business decision—from pricing to production—stems from its core purpose of meeting customer needs efficiently.

Key Concepts

Core ideas you must understand for this topic

→The purpose of business: to produce goods or services that satisfy customer needs and wants, adding value through the production process.
→Factors of production: land (natural resources), labour (human effort), capital (machinery, tools, buildings), and enterprise (entrepreneurial skill and risk-taking).
→Opportunity cost: the cost of choosing one option over the next best alternative, e.g., a business using funds for new machinery instead of marketing.
→Added value: the difference between the cost of raw materials and the selling price, created through branding, convenience, or quality.
→Private vs. public sector: private sector businesses are owned by individuals or shareholders aiming for profit; public sector organisations are owned by the government and provide essential services.

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Understanding of job, batch, and flow production methods
Application of quality control and quality assurance concepts
Knowledge of supply chain stages including procurement, logistics, and stock control
Understanding of the sales process and the importance of customer service
Ability to justify operational decisions based on business context
Recognition of the interdependent nature of business functions

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Understanding of job, batch, and flow production methods
Application of quality control and quality assurance concepts
Knowledge of supply chain stages including procurement, logistics, and stock control
Understanding of the sales process and the importance of customer service
Ability to justify operational decisions based on business context
Recognition of the interdependent nature of business functions

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡Always link operational decisions back to the business's aims and objectives
💡Use specific examples of production methods when justifying a choice
💡Consider the impact of supply chain decisions on costs, quality, and customer satisfaction
💡Ensure you can explain how customer service impacts business reputation and loyalty
💡Use real-world examples to illustrate concepts. For instance, when explaining added value, mention how a coffee shop adds value by grinding fresh beans and providing a comfortable atmosphere, not just selling coffee.
💡Define key terms precisely in your answers. Examiners look for accurate use of business vocabulary like 'factors of production' and 'opportunity cost'. A clear definition can earn you marks even if your example is slightly off.
💡Link concepts to the business's objectives. When discussing a decision, always state how it helps the business achieve its goals (e.g., profit, growth). This shows deeper understanding and gains higher-level marks.

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Confusing quality control with quality assurance
Failing to apply operational decisions to specific business contexts
Ignoring the impact of operational decisions on other business functions like finance or marketing
Misunderstanding the difference between job, batch, and flow production
Misconception: 'Businesses only exist to make profit.' Correction: While profit is a key objective, many businesses also aim for growth, survival, social responsibility, or customer satisfaction. Non-profit organisations exist solely for social or environmental goals.
Misconception: 'Added value is the same as profit.' Correction: Added value is the increase in worth from production (selling price minus cost of bought-in materials), while profit is total revenue minus all costs (including wages, rent, etc.). Added value contributes to profit but is not the same.
Misconception: 'Opportunity cost only applies to money.' Correction: Opportunity cost applies to any resource—time, labour, or materials. For example, a student revising for a business exam gives up leisure time; that leisure is the opportunity cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions students ask about this topic

Before You Start

Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

•Basic understanding of economics: supply and demand, scarcity, and choice.
•Familiarity with the concept of a market and customers.
•No prior business knowledge is required, but an interest in how companies operate helps.

Study Guide Available

Comprehensive revision notes & examples

Read Study Guide

Likely Command Words

How questions on this topic are typically asked

Explain

Describe

Justify

Recommend

Calculate

Interpret

Ready to test yourself?

Practice questions tailored to this topic

Business activity

Topic Overview

Key Concepts

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Start

Study Guide Available

Likely Command Words

Ready to test yourself?

Related Topics in WJEC GCSE Business

Business operations

Finance

Human resources

Influences on business

How to Revise Business activity — WJEC GCSE Business

Examiner Tips for Business activity

Common Mistakes in Business activity

Key Marking Points

Business activity

Topic Overview

Key Concepts

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a good and a service?

Why do businesses add value?

What are the factors of production?

What is opportunity cost in business?

What is the difference between the private and public sector?

How does business activity create wealth?

Before You Start

Study Guide Available

Likely Command Words

Ready to test yourself?

Related Topics in WJEC GCSE Business

Business operations

Finance

Human resources

Influences on business