The concept of the essence of objects of commercial activity. The concept and essence of commercial activity

Give a concept commercial activities. Explain the essence of commercial activity. Outline the goals, objectives and functions of the commercial activity. Analyze the role of commercial activity in a competitive environment.

Answer:

There are various definitions of commercial activity in the economic literature. The term "commerce" (from Latin commercium - trade) has a dual meaning: firstly, it covers the trade sector, and secondly, trading processes aimed at activating and implementing purchase and sale, accompanied by a commercial transaction, exchange and promotion of goods to end consumer. In this case, in a market economy, the common medium of exchange is money, and the place of exchange of goods for money is the market, which most fully reflects commercial activity.

On the basis of the foregoing, it is possible to formulate the concept of commercial activity in the market of goods and services, which best reflects its essence and specific features.

Commercial activity in the market of goods and services- organizational and economic operations serving the exchange, the commission of acts of sale in order to obtain profit (benefit) through the best satisfaction of consumer demand with a high culture of service.

Essence of commercial activity

Commercial activity acts as a way to implement commercial relations between market entities, which become dominant in a market-oriented economy. These relations are designed to stimulate production, develop needs, and activate commodity-money exchange. Therefore, commercial activity, being an objectively necessary category of a market economy, has a priority and occupies a leading position.

The essence of commercial activity is an integrated approach to organizing a set of commercial processes and operations aimed at performing commercial functions in the implementation of commodity-money exchange in all its phases.

CA includes processes and operations of an organizational, managerial, legal and economic nature. It does not cover technological operations performed along the entire path of movement of goods from production to consumer, such as loading, unloading, packaging, packaging, storage, sorting, preparation of goods for sale. These operations reflect the technology of trading processes. Commercial activity and technology of trading processes are interconnected, but each of them has its own place and functions.

The main purpose of the CD- obtaining maximum profit at minimum cost through the best satisfaction of customer demand with a high culture of service. It can be implemented in various fields of activity: manufacturing, trading, financial, exchange, intermediary, etc. Most often, entities are forced to engage in several types of activities, diversify them in response to market changes.

Despite the increasing role of commercialization, the solution of social problems is also important.

Business objectives:

1. formation of relations between economic entities on the market on a mutually beneficial basis;

2. Increasing the role of supply contracts, strengthening contractual discipline:

3. development of stable direct economic ties, increasing their efficiency;

4. protecting the interests of consumers, ensuring their priority;

5. Introduction of advanced methods of wholesale and retail;

6. increasing the level of work on the study of demand, the economic justification of the need for goods;

7. improvement of the mechanism for managing commodity resources, supply and demand, the formation of a competitive assortment;

8. promotion of sales of goods, after-sales service, provision of additional services;

9. timely and adequate response to changes taking place in the market.

Functions of commercial activity:

1. substantiation of the behavior of a trade organization in the market, strengthening its influence on it in order to optimize the assortment and profits, increase competitiveness, and the level of trade services;

2. an integrated approach to the organization of commercial activities;

3. management of purchase and sale in order to ensure the economic interest of all participants in the commercial process, the stability of economic relations;

4. study and development of potential needs, markets, segments in order to form competitive advantages;

5. optimization of costs associated with commercial activities, preparation, execution of commercial transactions.

In a market economy, when carrying out commercial activities, economic management methods should be used to a greater extent, focused on making a profit through satisfying consumer demand. In this regard, there is a need improve business as follows:

1. adapt commercial functions, operations to market conditions;

2. effectively meet existing needs;

3. form the competitive advantages of goods;

4. calculate commercial risks and take proactive measures to reduce them;

5. achieve the main commercial goal - profit maximization;

6. develop demand, create competitive advantages;

7. constantly improve the skills of employees of commercial services, providing a creative, innovative approach to solving the tasks.

In a market economy, commodity-money relations are dominant. Therefore, almost every product of labor produced at enterprises is necessarily sold and bought, i.e. goes through the exchange phase. Sellers and buyers of goods conclude purchase and sale transactions, carry out sales and purchases of goods, provide intermediary and other services.

Commerce as a type of human activity most of us associate with trade. It's completely natural, as it happens this term from latin COMMERCIUM (trade). However, such an interpretation of commerce as a term is too narrow and clearly insufficient to clarify the concept and essence of commercial activity.

commercial activity is a part of entrepreneurial activity in the commodity market and differs from it by and large only in that it does not cover the process of manufacturing a product or providing a service. In a broad sense, any organization that offers the products of the labor of its employees to the market, and, therefore, participates in the exchange process, can be classified as a sale entity. It is important to bear in mind that if a given entity assumes the receipt of income from the sale (marketing) of goods or the provision of services that exceed the cost of their creation, then its activity is usually classified as commercial. Similarly, an idea is formed about the activity of acquiring raw materials, materials and products for the production of goods and the provision of services.

The entrepreneur always seeks to acquire resources and use services in accordance with his own commercial interests. The task that the market puts before him boils down to the need to create quality goods and profitable to implement it. Therefore, logistics (purchases, etc.), as one of the main conditions for the creation of goods, should be fully attributed to commercial activity and considered as its most important element.

The interpretation of the term “commercial” is primarily of practical importance, since the organization of the work of commercial services involves taking into account many specific features, from economic fundamentals to the structure of workflow. Professional training of commercial workers is carried out in a special way. In addition to traditional knowledge in the field of economics and management, a merchant must have a number of specific skills in the field of business communication and negotiations, be able to make non-standard decisions to identify highly profitable areas of labor application.

The professional activity of a merchant is carried out in the sphere of production and commodity circulation and is aimed at ensuring the functioning of enterprises of all organizational and legal forms in order to rationally organize commercial activities, taking into account the industry, regional and nomenclature specifics of the enterprise. The merchant must, on the basis of professional knowledge, ensure efficient commercial activity and thereby contribute to the solution of an important socio-economic task - the satisfaction of the needs of buyers.

Objects professional activity merchant are tangible goods and intangible goods and services subject to sale or exchange in the sphere of circulation.

The main types of professional activities of a merchant:

• organizational and commercial;
• commodity-expert;
• marketing;
• trade and economic;
• analytical;
• trade and purchasing;
• foreign trade.

For science, it is very important to correctly define the essence of commercial activity. Many problems associated with the study of economic patterns in the sphere of production and commodity circulation are still awaiting their solution. Among them, the most relevant are:

• a system of criteria and methods for evaluating the results of the work of the commercial service of the enterprise;
• a system of payment and economic incentives for the work of employees of commercial services.

A significant problem is the clear definition of the boundaries of commercial activities for tax purposes. Yes, in accordance with the law Russian Federation the main criterion for attributing a particular type of activity to a certain category of taxation is the existence of a statutory goal for the corresponding enterprise or organization to make a profit. At the same time, the form of ownership and organizational and legal form of a business entity does not play a role. From the point of view of taxation, it is only important to clearly establish the ownership commercial enterprise to a specific type and field of activity: production and sale of any products (materials or raw materials), provision of production or non-production services, trade and intermediary operations, etc. Income tax rates in different cases differ from each other in size.

All enterprises, organizations and institutions operating in the commodity market can be conditionally divided into two main groups: commercial and non-commercial. Commercial enterprises include almost all enterprises in the sphere of material production (factories, factories), a significant part of enterprises in the production infrastructure (transport and trade and intermediary enterprises, communications enterprises, etc.) and non-production spheres (household services, entertainment industry, etc.) , almost all subjects of the securities market.

Non-profit activity has traditionally been concentrated in health care and education, although in recent years there have been sprouts of entrepreneurship. The activity of any non-profit (“non-profitable” in Western economic literature) entity is based on the principle of maintaining a balance of equality of income and expenses. The tax legislation of Russia clearly defines the directions in which expenses included in the cost price can be incurred. In addition, the sources of income generation are strictly defined and not commercial organization. In the event of a profit, this organization must use it in strict accordance with the requirements of the law or perform a special procedure for calculating the state budget by revising the amount of funding or paying the appropriate taxes. Non-profit organizations also include government agencies (federal and municipal).

The subject of commercial activity is the sale and purchase of goods. However, in the broadest sense of the word, not only produced material objects, but also services, and even objects of intellectual property should be considered as goods. A product as an object of commercial transactions (purchase and sale transactions) has potential and real utility.

Potential usefulness of the product (services, etc.) or the ability of any product of labor to satisfy individual specific needs, taking into account affordability, is determined by its two integral characteristics: quality and price. The ratio between them, which has developed in a particular market situation, makes it possible potential consumer solve the fundamental question whether he needs and whether this proposed product is available to him?

Real utility The product appears at the moment of its acquisition by the consumer (sales by the seller), i.e. as a result of the exchange.

The prerequisites for a potentially useful product to become really useful for the buyer are:

• the presence of a given product of potential utility, the correspondence of its consumer properties to existing requests, i.e. the presence of an internal factor influencing the preliminary choice of the buyer;
• the presence of a sufficient amount of a potentially useful product in the right place and at the right time for the seller, or external conditions for the implementation of the choice.

Creating conditions for the realization of the potential usefulness of the product is the most important task of commercial activity. It is for these purposes that the relevant sales services are formed, inventories are accumulated, trading and intermediary firms are created.

The main varieties of commercial activity fully reflect its essence. First, it is about supply enterprises with the raw materials, materials and products necessary for it. The work associated with their procurement includes the following main operations:

• material need planning;
• organizing the acquisition of resources and their delivery to the enterprise;
• regulation of the size of inventories;
• organization and control of resource consumption in the enterprise must be carried out by special units.

In typical situations, they (subdivisions) are assigned the following names:

• department of material and technical supply (providing); department of production (industrial-technical and production-technological equipment);
• service of acquisition by the equipment of objects under construction.

In modern conditions, when more and more new terms and concepts are included in the professional lexicon of a merchant, divisions for material resource management and logistics. The procurement service of an enterprise is usually also involved in obtaining the necessary commercial information.

It is necessary to highlight sales finished products (services). The sales function is performed by a special service of the enterprise, which organizes the formation of shipment lots, promotes goods on the market, searches for and formalizes relations with buyers (clients). In modern conditions, the success of this activity to a large extent depends on the professionalism of the sales staff and therefore marketing becomes the main technology of the sales service.

In a separate category should be allocated trade and intermediary operations in the consumer and industrial (business) market, meaning, above all, wholesale and retail trade. The participation of an intermediary in the process of distribution in many cases is a necessary condition for concluding a sale and purchase transaction, as it provides consumers with wider access to the product. Moreover, in the consumer market, the buyer, almost always, can purchase goods only through an intermediary (retailer), since manufacturers almost never work with individuals.

Commercial activity is always associated with the performance of operations to bring material resources from suppliers to consumers. These operations include:

• from manufacturers – preparation of products for shipment, shipment, vacation and its documentation;
• in the warehouses of intermediary and transport companies in the process of product movement - its acceptance, storage, formation of complete batches, shipment;
• in the warehouses of consumer enterprises - acceptance of products in terms of quantity and quality, storage, bringing the purchased materials to a high degree of technological readiness for production consumption, issue and delivery of materials to workplaces.

In general, all these operations, depending on the specific situation, can be conditionally divided into two categories - marketing and supply. Sales operations and processes are related to the production and delivery of products. The production process ends with the sale of products. Supply operations are associated with the production consumption of material resources, obtaining material resources and providing them to enterprises in the production and non-production sectors.

The organization of commercial activity in market conditions is considered; factors influencing its performance. The role of business entities in the market is characterized. The main forms, methods and tools of commercial activity in wholesale and retail trade are described. The previous edition was published in 2010. For students of the specialty "Commercial activity (commodity science)" of institutions of secondary specialized education higher education, trade specialists, entrepreneurs.

A series: university. For students of higher educational institutions

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by the LitRes company.

1. The essence and content of commercial activities in the market of goods and services

1.1. Commercial activity as economic category, its essence and purpose

The concept of "commercial activity"

It is important to clearly define the concept of "commercial activity" and the relationship with other related categories, such as "business", "entrepreneurship", "marketing", in order to understand the economic meaning and role of commercial activity in the field of business.

Business - a general economic term that characterizes the economic activity of entities in certain area entrepreneurship that generates income or provides benefits in the presence of a certain risk.

Entrepreneurship in accordance with the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus, it represents an independent activity of legal entities and individuals whose product of activity is intended for sale to other persons for the purpose of making a profit, carried out at their own risk, on their own behalf and under their property responsibility.

Marketing in a broad sense, it is considered as a philosophy, a market concept of entrepreneurship and offers tools, methods, techniques with which you can achieve your goals. These tools and methods are used in commercial activities in the market of goods and services to perform their own functions and operations. There is a direct connection between marketing and commercial activities due to the homogeneity of their goals: making a profit through satisfying the needs of customers. But there are also differences: marketing acts as a concept aimed at creating a need, demand, motivation to buy, but does not serve the process of buying and selling itself. This function is performed by commercial activities, through commercial operations that have an absolutely independent value and are not covered by marketing. Therefore reach common purpose and the desired effect is possible using marketing and commerce in combination.

Thus, commercial activity is an independent type of activity, which is based on market laws and principles, manifests itself in various forms and occupies an important place in the sphere of circulation.

There are various definitions of commercial activity in the economic literature. The term "commerce" (from the Latin commercium - trade) has a dual meaning: firstly, it covers the trade sector, and secondly, trade processes aimed at activating and implementing purchase and sale, accompanied by a commercial transaction, exchange and promotion of goods to the final consumer. In this case, in a market economy, the common medium of exchange is money, and the place of exchange of goods for money is the market, which most fully reflects commercial activity.

On the basis of the foregoing, it is possible to formulate the concept of commercial activity in the market of goods and services, which best reflects its essence and specific features.

Commercial activity in the market of goods and services is an organizational and economic operation serving the exchange, the commission of acts of sale in order to obtain profit (benefit) through the best satisfaction of demand.

Commercial activity provides for the implementation of a complex of trade and organizational operations and their management. It is based on theoretical and practical knowledge of the organization and technique of commercial operations.

In order for the exchange to take place, it is necessary to perform interrelated actions arranged in a certain sequence that provide organizational, economic, social and legal aspects of the process. These activities are commercial in nature. These include: market research and determining the need for goods, searching for suppliers, buyers, concluding contracts, ensuring their implementation, etc. Through commercial activities, links between manufacturers of goods and end consumers are established, and exchange is managed. The operations performed in the course of this activity are of a commercial nature and affect the final results of the work of trade organizations.

The economic nature of commercial activity determines the increase in its role in the development of market relations. In doing so, attention should be paid to the following the most important characteristics commercial activities:

It is carried out in the process of exchanging the products of labor of economically independent subjects;

Promotes the alienation of the products of labor from their owner and for the exchange and satisfaction of other people's needs;

Promotes exchange organized according to the laws of economic expediency.

The foregoing emphasizes that commercial activities should be oriented towards achieving the desired economic, financial results within the legal framework, and not only for the qualified technical performance of operations serving the process of buying and selling.

The success of commercial activity is determined by its continuous cycle, which involves the implementation of the economic essence:

Optimization of costs when purchasing facilities, equipment, raw materials, involvement of labor, information, financial and other resources in the formation of the infrastructure of business entities;

Formation of profitability potential by reducing all types of costs;

Optimization of sales profits through innovative and efficient technologies.

The interruption of this cycle, the inability to achieve the target tasks identified at each of the listed stages, lead to an increase in commercial risks up to bankruptcy.

Essence of commercial activity

Commercial activity acts as a way to implement commercial relations between market entities, which become dominant in a market-oriented economy. These relations are designed to stimulate production, develop needs, and activate commodity-money exchange. Therefore, commercial activity, being an objectively necessary category of a market economy, has a priority and occupies a leading position.

The essence of commercial activity is an integrated approach to organizing a set of commercial processes and operations aimed at performing commercial functions in the implementation of commodity-money exchange in all its phases.

As noted above, commercial activities include processes and operations of an organizational, managerial, legal and economic nature. It does not cover technological operations performed along the entire path of movement of goods from production to consumer, such as loading, unloading, packaging, packaging, storage, sorting, preparation of goods for sale. These operations reflect the technology of trading processes. Commercial activity and technology of trading processes are interconnected, but each of them has its own place and functions.

Without commercial activity there can be no technology, just as without technology there can be no commercial activity. These disciplines form the system of functioning of the trading industry. Commercial activity takes place not only in the trading industry, but also in the manufacturing, service, intellectual property, technology, and securities markets. It is based on the organization and management of commercial processes.

Commercial Process means the consistent execution of operations that provide organizational, economic, social, legal aspects of commodity-money exchange.

The set of specific operations depends on what stage of the exchange the commercial process serves and on what scheme the exchange is carried out. For example, in the presence of intermediaries, the path of movement of commodity-money exchange develops as follows: manufacturer → one or more wholesale intermediaries → retail trade → end consumer, and in their absence: manufacturer → end consumer without intermediaries. commercial operation is an important component of commercial activity, which is a set of techniques and methods that ensure the functioning of different stages of commodity-money exchange. All commercial operations can be divided into main and auxiliary. Some of them have specific features (for example, exchange, auction operations).

Thus, commercial activity consists of commercial processes and transactions that take place in the process of interaction of market entities in order to ensure the efficient exchange of goods and services.

Commercial activity as a function ensures consistency and complexity, integrating the organizational, managerial, financial, economic, legal aspects of the entire exchange system, in order to achieve the greatest efficiency and profit. In a market economy, such a function is a priority, as it is able to secure a foothold in the market, competitive advantages, and prevent bankruptcy. It ensures success not only in the national market, but also in foreign markets, serving international exchange. It is necessary to study the specifics, advanced achievements in this area and use all the best in practical work.

Purpose of commercial activity

The main purpose of commercial activity is to make a profit. It can be implemented in various fields of activity: manufacturing, trading, financial, exchange, intermediary, etc. Most often, entities are forced to engage in several types of activities, diversify them in response to market changes.

Despite the fact that in the context of the development of market relations, the role of commercialization (profit making) is increasing, the solution of social problems is also important. On the part of the state, a system of economic levers must be determined that ensures the solution of social problems while creating favorable conditions for effective commercial activity. This type of activity should be beneficial to everyone who is engaged in it, ensure the active development of the economy and a sufficient flow of funds to solve social problems.

At the same time, making a profit is also an intermediate goal for both businessmen and the state. Profit is necessary to satisfy certain needs, solve tasks, achieve goals, ensure innovative development. If consumption is activated, then production develops, and the economy as a whole revives. Needs are driving force commercial activity: no need - no demand, no need for the production of goods; no profit - no investment, no development. Therefore, commercial success lies in the search and formation of needs and the most effective ways their satisfaction. This is done through the implementation of acts of sale. It is important to track how much profit is received and how it is used. Commercial goals must be achieved not at any cost, but through the implementation of the most effective commercial solutions.

1.2. The role of commercial activity in a competitive environment

Prerequisites for changing the role of commercial activity in the new economic conditions

In a market economy, when carrying out commercial activities, economic management methods should be used to a greater extent, focused on making a profit through satisfying consumer demand.

The creation of favorable conditions for the development and improvement of commercial activities, which play a significant role in the socio-economic development of the country, is facilitated by Directive No. 4 of December 31, 2010 "On the development of entrepreneurial initiative and stimulation of business activity in the Republic of Belarus", which provides for the development of fair competition, increasing quality legal regulation and responsibility of business entities, creation of equal working conditions on the territory of the common customs space of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan.

In this case, in order to adapt commercial activities to market conditions, it is necessary to form background, most favorable for the active development of commodity-money relations. The most important of them are:

Legal equality of all forms of ownership;

Economic independence of economic subjects of the market, their responsibility for the results of their work;

Freedom to enter the market;

Demonopolization, denationalization, ensuring the emergence of a large number of competitors on the market, creating conditions for healthy competition;

Free pricing, balancing supply and demand;

sustainable financial system;

Openness of the economy;

Development of market infrastructure.

Establishing a market mechanism takes a long time to implement reforms. It is important to correctly determine the role of the state in the formation of market relations, the degree and forms of participation. This role should be:

in perfection legal framework contributing to the development of market relations;

Stabilization of the economy;

Using an efficient system of taxation and crediting;

Customs policy;

Protection of competition;

Consumer rights protection;

Formation of a mechanism for managing natural and raw materials, ensuring their efficient use and enhancement.

Directions for improving business activities

As market relations develop, it becomes necessary to improve commercial activities in the following way:

Adapt commercial functions, operations to market conditions;

To form the competitive advantages of the product, to concentrate efforts by improving the methods of sale and service support;

Calculate commercial risks and take proactive measures to reduce them;

Constantly improve the skills of employees of commercial services, providing a creative, innovative approach to solving problems;

Use a strategic approach to the organization of commercial activities, ensuring its dynamic development for a long period;

Effectively satisfy existing needs, form new ones, develop demand, search for additional market segments, create competitive advantages;

Achieve profit through the best satisfaction of consumer demand while reducing costs.

Increasing the efficiency of commercial activities contributes to the use of principles, tools and methods of marketing in its organization. This will orient commercial activity to specific consumers, their requirements for goods, sales. This approach allows you to achieve your goals while reducing costs and commercial risks.

Consider the features of commercial activities based on the marketing concept.

Trading organizations that operate in market conditions are forced to use other methods to make a profit - the main commercial goal. This goal can be achieved primarily by identifying, shaping and satisfying the needs of buyers. To solve this problem, more attention should be paid to marketing research, analysis and use of the information received to justify commercial decisions.

If a trade organization sets itself the goal of achieving profit and a stable position in the market, then it is forced to apply the most effective tools and the methods that marketing offers. The tougher the competition, the more actively and competently it is necessary to do this. Competition forces to constantly improve commercial activities, using an innovative approach.

Commercial activity in market conditions with a high level of market saturation with goods should be aimed at a comprehensive study of the market and consumer requirements for goods and services, and effective management of commercial processes. To do this, it is necessary to use market mechanisms for managing commercial activities, to economically justify the commercial decisions made that ensure the most complete consideration of the interests of specific consumers and satisfy them at the lowest cost.

In a competitive environment, it is not enough to pay attention only to the product and its quality; it is very important to strengthen the commercial and marketing support of the product, which is an active means of competition in the market.

The use of marketing concept tools in commercial activities in the new economic conditions will improve its efficiency, ensure the formation of competitive advantages, and the solution of strategic tasks. This is precisely the practical significance of marketing when applied in commercial activities in the consumer market in the new economic conditions.

Factors that determine the development of commercial activity

Commercial activity is carried out in a certain environment, under the influence of which the tools and methods used to solve the tasks are changing. This necessitates the identification of factors that have the most significant impact on commercial activity.

Factors that determine the development of commercial activity can be divided into external and internal.

To external factors, independent of trading organizations include:

Economic liberalization;

Economic development trends;

The degree of development of commodity-money relations;

The level of income, the rate of their growth;

System of taxation and financing;

The legislative framework, its stability and loyalty to the business;

The degree of favorable environment for the development of commercial activities;

The degree of diversity of organizational and legal forms of business entities operating in the market, forming a competitive environment;

Trends in the development of foreign economic relations.

Internal factors, which depend on the activities of trade organizations are:

Degree of efficiency and adaptation to real conditions forms and methods of work with subjects of commercial relations and consumers;

The scale of commercial activity;

The structure of the commercial apparatus, its qualifications, performance;

The effectiveness of the commercial strategy;

Innovative commercial solutions;

The use of modern achievements, best practices in the organization of commercial activities.

1.3. Principles, functions, tasks of commercial activity in modern conditions

Business principles

Principles commercial activities are the main provisions, rules that reflect its nature and emphasize the features of its organization in the market of goods and services. They are based on the laws of the market and are fundamental in organizing the relationship of business entities.

Commercial activity in a market economy is based on the following principles:

Economic freedom of business entities;

Competitiveness;

adaptability;

Risk reduction;

Efficiency.

Principle economic freedom assumes that the subjects of commercial activity are free to choose partners in commercial transactions, forms and methods of interaction with them, independently determine the volume and structure of purchases, terms of supply, mutual responsibility. The implementation of this principle is possible only in the conditions of market relations, when there are no limits, funds, quotas, attachment of buyers to suppliers, plans for the distribution of goods and other administrative measures. The rejection of them forces business entities to expand and intensify their initiative in commercial activities and take responsibility for the validity of decisions made.

Principle competitiveness is that in a market economy there are many sellers with an identical assortment of goods and buyers have a choice, which increases competition. Competitors are forced to fight for their market share, for their customers, which puts them in front of the need to find ways to stand out, using both price and non-price methods, to improve commercial activities, to perform commercial operations better than competitors, to secure competitive advantages in the market. The implementation of the principle of competitiveness gives dynamism to commercial activity, makes it necessary to quickly respond to customer requirements and changes in market conditions. To implement it, it is necessary to substantiate and anticipate the results of commercial activity on the basis of deep knowledge, analysis and consideration of market factors. The foundation on which this work is built must ensure the stable development of the trade organization, its sustainable financial position on the market.

adaptability as a principle of commercial activity expresses its ability to adapt to market conditions, to respond promptly and adequately to its changes. This requires the development of forms and methods of managing commercial activities that correspond to the market environment and changing conditions. A necessary condition for the implementation of this requirement is the decentralization of the regulation of commercial activities, the provision of maximum economic and creative freedom to commercial entities.

Risk reduction is an essential principle of commercial activity. There are many business risk factors. Commercial activity is carried out in conditions of uncertainty, dynamic market conditions, changing legal framework, credit system, taxation and other variables, which the subject of commercial relations often cannot influence, but is forced to look for ways to minimize risks. The search for acceptable solutions is an important component in improving the efficiency of commercial activities, forcing specialists in this field to look for extraordinary, innovative solutions.

Efficiency commercial activity is connected with the need to make a profit by developing new markets, increasing sales volumes, accelerating the turnover, optimizing the assortment, improving the culture of service, building a positive image, making informed commercial decisions. The implementation of this principle should be approached differently: in some markets, immediate results are needed, in others, it is necessary to work for the future, to the detriment of today's results. We must not forget about social efficiency, health protection, environment, safety, service culture. Ultimately, commercial activity should bring profit to business entities.

Business Functions

As already noted, commercial activity in the new economic conditions is based on the laws of the market, which determines it. functions.

The concept of commercial activity in a market economy implies a clear rationale for its strategy and the development of effective implementation tactics.

Based on this concept, commercial activity should perform the following functions:

Substantiation of the behavior of a trade organization in the market, strengthening its influence on it in order to optimize the assortment and profits, increase competitiveness, and the level of trade services;

An integrated approach to the organization of commercial activities, ensuring the efficient operation of all departments of the trade organization;

Purchase and sale management in order to ensure the economic interest of all participants in the commercial process, the stability of economic relations;

Study and development of potential needs, markets, segments in order to form competitive advantages;

Adaptation of commercial activities to the market environment in order to timely and adequately respond to its changes;

Optimization of costs associated with commercial activities, preparation and execution of commercial transactions.

Business goals

In the process of commercial activity, both economic and social tasks. The goal comes to the fore - to make a profit, which also serves as a means for solving other equally significant tasks, including social ones, and implies a high economic training of a specialist in commercial work.

The main objectives of commercial activities are:

Formation of relations between economic entities on the market on a mutually beneficial basis;

Increasing the role of supply contracts, strengthening contractual discipline;

Development of stable direct economic ties, increasing their efficiency;

Protecting the interests of consumers, ensuring their priority;

Introduction of progressive methods of wholesale and retail trade;

Increasing the level of work on the study of demand, business case needs for goods;

Improving the mechanism for managing commodity resources, supply and demand, the formation of a competitive assortment;

Promotion of sales of goods, after-sales service, provision of additional services;

Timely and adequate response to changes in the market.

Achieving a positive commercial result requires efforts to increase the advantages of a trade organization in any situation, even if it operates successfully in the market. Commercial work should be carried out actively, ensure a systematic increase in the volume of sales of goods and services while ensuring the profitable operation of a trade organization.

1.4. Subjects of legal relations and objects in commercial activities

Based on the fact that the implementation of commercial operations is a management activity, it is assumed that there are entities that carry out it, and objects to which this activity is directed. The most favorable conditions for the development of commercial activities are the equality of subjects of all forms of ownership, voluntary, mutually beneficial interaction of subjects operating in the market, free pricing, economic responsibility for decisions made, fair competition, balance of the roles, functions and tasks of the state and business entities.

To understand the mechanism of relations between participants in the market of goods and services, let us consider the main components of this system. These include subjects and objects of commercial legal relations involved in wholesale and retail trade in certain territories. With their help, the circulation of goods in the commodity markets through the sale and purchase, which serves commercial activities, is ensured.

Characteristics of the subjects of commercial legal relations of the market of consumer goods and services

According to the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus (Article 46), business entities, by their legal status, can be commercial and non-profit organizations. Commercial are organizations that consider making a profit as the main goal of their activities and distribute it among the participants. non-commercial organizations are considered to be organizations that do not aim at making profit and distributing it among participants (public, religious organizations(associations), charitable foundations etc., which are created to achieve social, environmental, charitable, cultural, educational, spiritual goals).

The legal status of organizations is determined depending on who and to what extent is liable for obligations, who has the right to conclude contracts on behalf of the organization, what are the taxation procedures for profits, reporting forms, liquidation procedures and other extremely important issues when establishing business relations with partners in the market.

The subjects of commercial legal relations are the parties entering into contractual relations for the sale of goods or the provision of services.

Let's consider the subjects realizing the commercial purposes.

As subjects of commercial legal relations in trade are legal entities and individual entrepreneurs engaged in trade and registered in in due course(STB 1393-2003 "Trade. Terms and definitions"). They are entitled to conduct commercial transactions in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

Legal entities - organizations that own, manage or operational management separate property, bear independent responsibility for their obligations, may, on their own behalf, acquire and exercise property and personal non-property rights, perform duties, be a plaintiff and defendant in court, who have passed state registration as a legal entity in the prescribed manner or are recognized as such by a legislative act. Legal entities must have an independent balance sheet (Article 44 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Individual entrepreneurs act individuals(citizens) engaged in entrepreneurial activities without forming a legal entity from the moment of state registration as an individual entrepreneur (Article 22 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

The mechanism for regulating the relationship between commercial entities in trade should be considered as component a general mechanism for regulating legal relations between business entities in general in the market. It includes the following components:

Legal relations with state bodies of all levels;

Relations of organizations, enterprises with each other;

Legal norms on the organization of economic relations;

Legal relations in arbitration consideration of economic disputes.

The subjects of legal relations of commercial activity can be created in the following organizational and legal forms (Article 46 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus):

Economic partnerships and companies;

Production and consumer cooperatives;

Unitary enterprises;

Peasant (farming) farms.

It is allowed to create associations of commercial organizations and (or) individual entrepreneurs in the form of holdings, associations and unions, state associations.

The main differences between the above forms are the ownership of capital, separate property, which can be owned, economic management, operational management, as well as the appropriation and distribution of profits, liability for obligations.

Business partnerships and societies commercial organizations are recognized with a charter capital divided into shares (shares) between founders (participants). The property created at the expense of the contributions of the founders, as well as produced and acquired by them in the course of economic activity, belongs to the partnership or company on the basis of ownership (Article 63 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Business partnerships can be created in the form of a general and limited partnership.

The partnership is complete in the event that, in accordance with the agreement concluded between them, all participants (general partners) are engaged in entrepreneurial activities on behalf of the partnership and jointly with each other bear subsidiary liability with their property for the obligations of the partnership (Article 66 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Limited a partnership is considered in which, in addition to general partners, there are one or more participants (contributors, limited partners) who bear the risk of losses associated with the activities of the partnership, within the amount of their contributions, and do not participate in the implementation of entrepreneurial activities by the partnership (Article 81 of the Civil Code The Republic of Belarus).

To business companies include: companies with limited liability, companies with additional liability, joint-stock companies, subsidiaries and dependent business companies.

Limited Liability Company (LLC) established by two or more persons. The number of participants must not exceed the limit established by legislative acts, otherwise the company is subject to reorganization within a year. The authorized capital of an LLC is divided into shares of sizes determined by the founders. The participants of the company are not liable for its obligations and bear the risk of losses associated with the activities of the company, within the value of their contributions (Articles 87–93 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Additional Liability Company (ALC) established by two or more persons. The authorized capital of the ALC is divided into shares, which are determined founding documents. The participants of such a company jointly and severally bear subsidiary liability for its obligations with their property within the limits determined by the constituent documents, but not less than the amount established by the legislative acts of the Republic of Belarus. In case of economic insolvency (bankruptcy) of one of the participants, his liability for the obligations of the company is distributed among the other participants in proportion to their contributions, unless a different distribution procedure is provided for by the constituent documents of the company (Article 94 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Joint Stock Company (JSC) has an authorized fund divided into a certain number of shares with the same nominal value. Shareholders (members of a joint-stock company) are not liable for its obligations and bear the risk of losses associated with its activities within the value of their shares (Article 96 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus). The following organizational forms are possible joint-stock companies:

An open joint stock company (JSC) is characterized by the fact that its participant can alienate his shares without the consent of other shareholders to an unlimited circle of persons. Such a joint-stock company has the right to carry out an open subscription for the shares it issues and their free sale on the terms established by the legislation on securities. In the event of placement of additionally issued shares at the expense of the company's own funds and (or) its shareholders, as well as in other cases provided for by legislative acts, the OJSC may carry out a closed (among a limited circle of persons) placement of additionally issued shares (Article 97 of the Civil Code of the Republic Belarus);

A closed joint stock company (CJSC) is a company whose member can alienate his shares only with the consent of other shareholders and (or) a limited number of persons. CJSC has the right to carry out only closed (among a limited circle of persons) placement of additionally issued shares. Shareholders of a CJSC have a pre-emptive right to purchase shares sold by other shareholders of this company (Article 97 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus);

Subsidiaries and dependent business companies.

Subsidiary a business company is recognized if another (main) business company or partnership has the force of a predominant participation in it statutory fund, or the strength of the predominant participation is determined by the agreement concluded between them. In this case, the decisions of the main company (partnership) are decisive. A subsidiary company is not liable for the debts of the main company (partnership). The parent company is jointly and severally liable with the subsidiary for transactions concluded by the subsidiary on the instructions of the parent company. In case of bankruptcy of a subsidiary due to the fault of the main company, the latter bears subsidiary liability for its debts (Article 105 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

addicted a company is recognized as a business company if another business company has a share (shares) in the authorized capital of this company in the amount corresponding to 20% or more of the total number of votes that it can use at the general meeting of participants in such a company (Article 106 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus ).

Production cooperatives (artels) are commercial organizations. Their participants are obliged to make a property share contribution, take personal labor participation in the activities of the production cooperative, bear subsidiary liability for its obligations in equal shares or in the amounts established by the charter, but not less than the amount of annual income received in the production cooperative (Article 107 of the Civil Code of the Republic Belarus).

Unitary enterprise (UE) a commercial organization is recognized that is not endowed with the right of ownership of the property assigned to it by the owner. The property of a unitary enterprise is indivisible and is not distributed among contributions (shares, shares), including between employees of the enterprise. In the form of unitary enterprises, state (republican or communal) unitary enterprises (their property is in state ownership) and private (their property is in state ownership) can be created. private property natural or legal person). There are unitary enterprises based on the right of economic management and on the right of operational management (state enterprise).

Property republican unitary enterprise (RUE) is owned by the Republic of Belarus and belongs to UE and operational management.

By decision of the Government of the Republic of Belarus, on the basis of property owned by the Republic, a unitary enterprise based on the right operational management, so-called public company, the constituent document of which is the charter approved by the Council of Ministers. The Republic of Belarus bears subsidiary liability for the obligations of a state-owned enterprise in case of insufficiency of its property. A state-owned enterprise may be reorganized or liquidated by decision of the Government.

Property communal unitary enterprise is owned by an administrative-territorial unit and belongs to such an enterprise

Property private unitary enterprise is privately owned by an individual (jointly owned by spouses or a peasant (farm) economy) or a legal entity and belongs to such an enterprise on the right of economic management.

Property subsidiary unitary enterprises is owned by the founder owner and owned by a subsidiary on the right of economic management(Article 113115 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Peasant (farm) economy recognized as a commercial organization created by one citizen (members of the same family) who has made property contributions for the implementation of entrepreneurial activities for the production of agricultural products, as well as for its processing, storage, transportation and sale, based on his (their) personal labor participation and the use of a land plot in accordance with the legislation on the protection and use of land. A peasant (farm) economy is liable for its obligations with all its property (Articles 115-1, 115-2 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

To improve management efficiency state enterprises it is possible to resort to the separation of managerial and economic functions by creating associations(including with the participation of foreign capital), associations, unions, financial and industrial groups, holding companies, determined by legislation relating to such groups. The first document that implements the legal regulation of the creation of holdings (holding companies and other business groups) in the Republic of Belarus is the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated December 28, 2009 No. 660 “On Certain Issues of the Creation and Operation of Holdings in the Republic of Belarus”. A holding, unlike business groups, without being a legal entity, is an association of commercial organizations (holding members), in which one of them (the management company) has the ability to influence decisions made by other commercial organizations - members of the holding (subsidiaries of the holding ). Appear cooperatively integrated associations, including the production of agricultural products, their processing and trade (for example, the Grodno Association of Grain Products, the Snov cooperative farm, etc.).

A variety of business entities allows developing market infrastructure and creating a most favorable environment for efficient commercial activity. The subjects of commercial relations can be both public and private, carry out their activities individually and in a collective form.

The subjects of the state form of ownership (republican and municipal) occupy a leading position, which requires an increase in the efficiency of their commercial work, which ensures rapid adaptation to the market situation.

The development of market relations determined the growth of subjects of commercial legal relations based on private property. This process is most active in the trading industry. On the basis of private property, commercial activities are conducted by both individual citizens and their teams (enterprises, organizations).

enterprise a property complex used for entrepreneurial activities is recognized as an object of law. The enterprise as a whole or its individual parts may be the object of sale, pledge, lease and other transactions (Article 132 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Firm - this is a generalized name used in relation to many organizations (enterprises) engaged in commercial activities for the purpose of making a profit. They can have different volumes of activity, or they can be very small.

Commercial activities can be carried out by those who are not owners. For example, intermediaries operate in the market, who do not take ownership of the goods, do not own property, but extract profit from their activities and appropriate it. They are also participants in commercial activities, performing specific operations.

Industrial enterprises and trade organizations of various forms of ownership and departmental affiliation operate as subjects of commercial relations in the market of the Republic of Belarus.

With the development of market relations, the organizational and legal forms of entities engaged in the implementation of commercial activities are being improved and become more diverse. More favorable conditions are being created for the activation of small and medium-sized businesses. Persons engaged in commercial activities without forming a legal entity may use the right granted by the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus to create simple partnerships. In this case, two or more persons enter into an agreement on joint activities, undertaking to combine their contributions and act jointly without forming a legal entity (after registration and obtaining a license, if required by law) to make a profit within the legal field.

Trade is divided into internal and external. Domestic trade carries out sales in the domestic market of the country and covers wholesale and retail trade.

In the trade sector, commercial activities are carried out by public and private trade organizations.

To public include trade organizations of ministries, departments, committees: the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Communications and Informatization, etc. In the consumer market of the Republic of Belarus, a number of concerns subordinate to the government act as state subjects of commercial operations :

Belarusian State Concern for Oil and Oil Products (Belneftekhim Concern);

Belarusian State Concern for the Production and Sale of Light Industry Goods (Bellegprom Concern);

Belarusian State Food Industry Concern (Belgospischeprom Concern);

Belarusian industrial and trading concern of timber, woodworking and pulp and paper industry(concern "Bellesbumprom"), etc.

They carry out wholesale and retail trade, including through a network of their branded stores.

Participants of commercial activities (legal entities and individuals) work on the market with private ownership. In the trading industry, their number is increasing. Among them, it is necessary to single out business entities consumer cooperation, cooperatives, individual entrepreneurs (individuals), organizations and enterprises with foreign capital.

The subjects of commercial legal relations can be business unions. Unlike firms (enterprises), the purpose of their activities is not to make a profit, but to represent and protect the interests of their business groups in government bodies, to promote and support in expanding their activities. They can provide advisory assistance, assistance in training, standardization and certification of products, etc. They are created in the form of unions, associations, federations, etc., they can be sectoral (for example, in the chemical industry) or unions by type of activity (in industry, trade, etc.).

As a rule, unions of entrepreneurs do not act on the market as an economic entity, but nevertheless, on behalf of trade organizations and manufacturing enterprises - members of the union can do this.

The parties entering into contractual relations for the sale of goods or the provision of services may be government bodies(various ministries and departments). They don't count main goal entering directly into economic relations, and in most cases they are representatives and defenders of the interests of their organizations and enterprises and can, on their behalf, carry out direct purchase and sale operations. Examples include the ministries of agriculture and food, health, and industry.

There may be situations when relationships for the purchase and sale of goods and services enter into public organizations. It can be international organizations UN systems that act as major buyers of goods, medicines, medical equipment, services, etc., in the implementation of some international programs (for example, when providing assistance to victims of accidents, natural disasters). In addition, such public organizations as the Society of Hunters and Fishermen, the Union of Artists, the Society for the Protection of Nature, the Society of the Disabled, the Defense Sports and Technical Society, the Dynamo Sports Society, the Society of the Deaf, the Association of the Visually Impaired and etc.

The subjects of commercial legal relations of the Belarusian Republican Union of Consumer Societies (“Belkoopsoyuz”) are: own manufacturing enterprises, coopzagotproms, wholesale, wholesale and retail, retail organizations, markets, unitary enterprises.

Own enterprises The majority of consumer cooperatives are engaged in the production of food products (bakeries, agricultural processing enterprises, sausage shops, mini-factories for the production of drinks, ice cream, etc.).

Koopzagotpromy buy and sell fruits and vegetables, nuts, honey, mushrooms, fur and fur, leather raw materials, etc. Their activities should ensure high level trade services for the rural population in accordance with the Program for the Development of the Village and Rural Entrepreneurship. The interaction of consumer cooperation organizations with personal subsidiary and peasant (farm) farms will form the conditions for ensuring sustainable economic growth of consumer cooperation and improving the quality of life of rural residents.

Active commercial activities in the market of goods and services are carried out by wholesale, wholesale and retail and retail business entities.

AT wholesale trade such entities are wholesale organizations with their own infrastructure (wholesale depots, warehouses, refrigerated warehouses, fruit and vegetable stores, wholesale food markets, etc.).

AT consumer cooperation an important place is occupied by such subjects of commercial activity as republican, regional, inter-district and district wholesale depots, refrigerators, storage facilities, unitary trade organizations and enterprises that purchase goods, seasonal agricultural products, printed products (oblkoopknigotorg) for subsequent wholesale and uninterrupted supply of retail trade networks in your area of ​​operation.

In the field trade mediation commercial activities are carried out by exchanges, auctions, agency organizations, distributors, consignees, brokers, brokerage houses, leasing, factoring companies, etc.

To wholesale and retail organizations include business entities that combine the functions of wholesale purchases and retail sales of goods directly to end consumers for personal use. For example, the Trading House as a subject of commercial relations is a diversified organization that carries out wholesale and retail trade in a wide range of goods and services. In addition to direct purchase and sale operations, its functions include credit and financial operations, as well as various services.

AT retail commercial activities are carried out by trade organizations through stores of various formats, catering establishments, pharmacies, objects for the sale of printed products, etc.

Retail trade organizations of consumer cooperation that carry out commercial activities include district consumer societies, co-op department stores, unitary enterprises, etc.

Trade organizations of consumer cooperation, in addition to purchase and sale operations, may also carry out other activities.

Objects of commercial operations in the consumer market

Objects of commercial operations as managerial activities in the consumer market are goods and services. Let's consider them in more detail.

Product is a product of labor that satisfies any needs of the buyer, intended for exchange in the form of purchase and sale. Thus, any thing that is not limited in circulation, freely alienable and transferable from one person to another under a contract of sale refers to a product.

Service - the result of the activity of the subject of commercial relations, aimed at assisting buyers in making a purchase, delivering goods and in the process of using them, in order to meet the needs of buyers and increase competitiveness and commercial results.

The active saturation of the market with goods and services, their diversity and the strengthening of consumer requirements for them determine the need to improve commercial work.

Managing a product as an object of commercial legal relations involves the systematization of information about it and the use of this information in making strategic and tactical decisions.

Services are very diverse and complex as an object of legal relations in commercial activities. Requirements for them on the part of consumers are systematically growing, they are becoming an important component of the competitiveness of goods in the market. Often a product only together with a service and all attributes (packaging, labeling, design, shape, etc.) can provide a solution to consumer problems and be competitive.

The objects of commercial activity in trade (goods and services) are subject to certain requirements, some of which are defined by international, national standards, applicable laws and regulations. Another part of the requirements, and what is especially important in the face of increasing competition, is presented by the market, by consumers.

1.5. Description of the main elements that determine the content of commercial activities

Elements of commercial activity

Consider the main elements that reflect the content of commercial activities.

1. Information Support commercial activities. The main source of obtaining the necessary commercial information is a comprehensive study of the market. It is important to know supply and demand, market conditions, information about the product, its consumer properties, quality, purpose. For successful work in the market, it is necessary to study in detail the consumer (number of the population served, its structure, social composition, purchasing power) and competitors (their strengths and weak sides, potentialities and intentions).

2. Determining the need for goods. At this stage of commercial work, it is necessary, based on the necessary information, to determine the capacity of the market and its segments, to justify the assortment structure of goods, delivery times and sizes of one-time lots.

3. Selection of partners for establishing business ties and distribution channels. This work begins with the study of possible sources of receipt of goods, the location of manufacturing enterprises, the volume and structure of the goods they offer, the terms of delivery, the forms of payment and shipping methods, etc. Based on the information received, partners, participants in the movement of goods are selected, functions are distributed between them . This must be economically justified. When choosing partners for establishing economic ties, one should strive to identify the most effective option.

4. Commercial activities to establish economic relations between partners. After choosing partners to bring goods to the consumer, commercial operations are carried out to establish economic ties. This activity involves the definition of the form of economic relations, the development of a draft agreement, the negotiation process to agree on the terms of the agreement, the signing of the agreement.

5. Organization of wholesale purchases of goods. Availability contractual relations between the supplier and the buyer involves the possibility of choice organizational forms procurement, procurement using the most effective of them (wholesale fairs, stock exchanges, tenders). It is important to defend the most favorable terms of contracts, correctly arrange bulk purchases and ensure the fulfillment of contractual obligations.

6. Commercial activities for the wholesale of goods. At this stage, it is necessary to choose a form of wholesale, justify the feasibility of its use, determine operations that ensure effective sales in warehouse and transit forms, properly execute sales, and monitor compliance with the terms of the contract.

7. Commercial activities for organizing the retail sale of goods. This part of the commercial work is very responsible, since it is in the retail trade network that the process of bringing goods from production to the consumer is completed and the form of value changes, it is revealed how successful and expedient all previous work was. The main commercial operations at this stage are the management of the assortment of goods in stores, the rationale for the frequency and size of shipments, the choice of forms and methods of sale, sales promotion, image formation, merchandising.

8. Commodity resource management. Considering that the demand for goods is dynamic, and market conditions are changeable, the state of commodity stocks in trade should be systematically monitored. The presence of goods in sizes exceeding requirements leads to a slowdown in turnover, an increase in the costs associated with their storage and sale. The lack of goods can cause a decrease in sales volumes and a decrease in profits. Therefore, at this stage of commercial work, it is necessary to form commodity resources in accordance with demand, organize a rhythmic, uninterrupted supply of goods in the right batches, systematically monitor the movement of goods, the timing of sales, and make timely commercial decisions to manage them.

9. Work to promote goods on the market, ensuring the formation of demand, stimulating the sale of goods. This work must be systematic and efficient. Achieved through right choice tools and means to ensure their effective use, substantiation of the expediency of their application, performance evaluation. The main task at this stage of commercial activity is to ensure effective advertising and information support of the product on the market, the formation of a positive attitude towards the buyer and the motivation for action - the acquisition of the product.

10. Provision of services, service support of goods. With the development of the goods market, it becomes necessary to expand the services provided to the population and partners in economic relations. As the market is saturated with goods and competition intensifies, services and their quality can become decisive for attracting buyers and strengthening market positions. Services must accompany the goods along the entire path of its movement. They are in the pre-sale period, at the time of sale and in the after-sale period. The task is to study the needs of buyers for services and offer those that they are willing to pay for.

11. Development of a commercial strategy for a trade organization. It involves analytical work, the use of commercial information, the definition of the mission, goals and objectives of commercial activities, the development of a strategy, the evaluation of its effectiveness, the development of tactics for its implementation, taking into account the potential of a trade organization and market conditions, monitoring performance, timely adjustment when market conditions change.

The relationship of elements of commercial activity

Commercial activity is systemic in nature, as it consists of separate elements (parts) that ensure the implementation of certain functions, combined to achieve a common goal. These elements interact with each other and the environment. The elements that form a commercial system are discussed above. Consistency is confirmed by the presence of the following properties:

Interaction and integrity - suggest that the elements included in the commercial activity are designed to perform different functions, but together provide unity of purpose and commercial focus;

The presence of a close connection between the elements of commercial activity - requires the qualitative implementation of each element to ensure the effectiveness of the system as a whole;

Organization - ensures the operation of all elements of the commercial system in the desired sequence and with the necessary result, which contributes to orderliness and organization;

Iterativity - defines an integrated approach to the use of all elements, provides the cumulative effect of a commercial system.

None of the elements of the commercial system can be excluded without compromising the final result. None of the elements, taken separately, can also ensure the solution of the set goals, but together in the system they enhance the positive result.

Commercial activity is carried out all the way the product enters the market. In order for the promotion of goods to begin, it is necessary to perform a number of commercial operations: calculation and justification of the need for goods for the region both in terms of volume and structure, selection of suppliers and ways to promote goods, conclusion of contracts for the supply of goods. Only then does the movement of goods begin.

Next, it is necessary to determine the commercial operations that need to be performed at the moment when the goods enter the sphere of circulation, to the wholesale link: control over the execution of supply contracts, the formation of an assortment of wholesale depots, the impact on manufacturers of goods on the release of the required assortment, the conclusion and implementation of supply contracts with retailers. trade, development of a commodity supply system.

In retail trade, commercial work involves the organization of the sale of goods to customers: the formation of the product range of stores, the choice of the most appropriate methods for selling goods and the system of payments for them, the activation of sales and sales promotion, the provision of services, after-sales service.

Thus, it is possible to distinguish groups of commercial operations serving various stages of the commercial process (Table 1.1).

To first group include operations that are performed when establishing relationships with manufacturing organizations.

Second group includes commercial work regulating the relationship of wholesale and retail trade.

Third group integrates commercial operations related to retail goods.

Fourth group includes operations that are necessary to varying degrees along the entire path of product distribution from the producer to the consumer.

The number of commercial operations, their sequence and significance are determined depending on the chosen way of goods distribution and the system of economic relations.

Considering that commercial activity is associated with the promotion of goods on the market and its sale, it is a special type of activity that takes place whenever a sale takes place. Forms and methods of its implementation are not the same in different economic conditions.

In the conditions of market relations, the forms and methods of commercial activity are undergoing significant changes and must be improved.

Table 1.1

Commercial operations serving various stages of the commercial process

The focus should be on the interests of the end user. In market conditions, a comprehensive study of the market, the requirements for goods and methods of their sale, as well as for after-sales service. The merchant is obliged to provide effective use of the business management mechanism, which implies:

Deep knowledge and skillful application of the latest achievements by commercial entities in conducting commercial operations;

Efficient combination of main and supporting operations;

Rational use advantages arising from the specific situation in which it is necessary to carry out commercial transactions;

Skillful application of forms and methods of trade in goods, services and management of this process.

The openness of the economy necessitates the unification of the elements of the economic mechanism that regulates the sphere of exchange, forms and methods of conducting commercial transactions.

Features of commercial activity in wholesale trade

Feature of commercial activity in wholesale trade It is determined by the fact that wholesale trade entities purchase goods in large quantities with the aim of their subsequent sale to other business entities, as a rule, in smaller quantities, at a profit for themselves. In addition, there is a need to provide its wholesale customers with various services.

This forces them to search for suppliers of goods and potential wholesale buyers. Efficiency is determined by how profitable the difference between costs and revenues will be for bulk purchases and wholesale sales in the aggregate.

A feature of commercial activity in the wholesale trade is the need to accumulate and create conditions for the preservation of inventory, the transformation of the production range into a trade one, ensuring uninterrupted satisfaction of the demand of its customers both in terms of volume and assortment. In addition, the peculiarity of commercial work on wholesale market involves complex mediation function between product manufacturers and retailers.

The peculiarity of commercial work is also due to the fact that the commercial services of wholesale trade organizations must have effective system collection, processing and practical use of commercial information to ensure active influence on the formation of the product range produced by commodity producers. On the other hand, commercial work in the wholesale market requires close interaction with its customers - retail trade organizations, individual trade facilities. There is a need to provide them with all possible practical assistance of a material, advertising, informational, and advisory nature.

Features of commercial activity in retail trade

commercial work in retail has its own specific features. It is here that the recognition or non-recognition of the goods by the end consumer is carried out. If the consumer comes to the conclusion that the product, its service support, the availability of related products, as well as market paraphernalia (trademark symbols) meet his requirements, he buys it. There is a change in the form of value and compensation for the costs associated with the production and bringing the goods to the consumer. If the product has not found its buyer, then the costs increase every day of its storage. This situation negatively affects the final results of the retail trade organization. Frequent repetition of a similar situation can lead to the financial insolvency of a trade organization.

Therefore, we can conclude that the success of commercial work in retail trade largely depends on how qualified and timely the commercial service can study, take into account and satisfy the requirements of customers. The result of this work is considered positive if the trade organization is able to form a competitive assortment of goods and manage it promptly.

The features of commercial work in retail trade are determined by the forms and methods of sale, their promotion, service policy, the need to take into account the interests of a huge number of buyers whose requirements are changeable, and purchases are small.

1.6. Commercial services of trade organizations, their functions

Commercial services of trade organizations, their functions

Commercial Services depending on the goals and objectives, they have a different structure and functions. In the conditions of market relations, there is a departure from unified organizational structures, since there is a need for their formation, taking into account adaptation to specific goals and objectives.

There are different levels of business organization and management:

Macro level (national economic);

Meso level (sectoral);

Micro level (the level of a business entity).

On the macro level the task is to coordinate the actions of all participants in commercial activities, to form a mechanism for balancing their interests and a legal framework for effective work. It is entrusted to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.

On the mesolevel Trade management tasks are assigned to the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Belarus, which is subordinate to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus. Decisions made by the Ministry of Trade are binding on trade organizations at all levels, for business entities of different systems, legal forms and forms of ownership.

The Ministry of Trade has a vertical structure, including departments (departments) local authorities authorities. Main functions taking into account modern market standards are:

Carrying out state policy in the field of trade, public catering, consumer services;

Creation of a competitive environment, overcoming monopoly in the sphere of commodity circulation, ensuring equality of all forms of ownership in trade;

Coordination of activities of all government agencies industry management, local executive, administrative bodies and public organizations, elimination of regional and departmental barriers to the movement of goods, ensuring the necessary commodity flows to meet the needs of the domestic market;

Monitoring the situation in the domestic consumer market, providing access to the information received by legal entities and entrepreneurs to the information necessary to justify the decisions made;

Strategic planning development of trade, determination of priority areas for the Republic of Belarus, development of projects of republican programs for the development of the trade industry;

Generalization of the practice of applying the legislation of the Republic of Belarus in trade, ensuring control over its observance by trade organizations of all forms of ownership, regardless of departmental affiliation, sending proposals for its improvement;

Protection of consumer rights and ensuring compliance with guarantees of quality and safety of goods;

Carrying out work on the formation of commodity resources for the country's consumer market, as well as conducting procurement and commodity interventions, accumulation of seasonal goods, determining the list of goods purchased at the expense of the budget on a tender basis;

Formation of modern commodity distribution networks, optimization of logistics flows, creation of transport and logistics centers;

Creation of conditions for the growth of demand for domestic products;

Providing conditions for use modern technologies in the trading industry;

Coordination of development and efficient use innovative technologies and funds allocated for their development, determining modern requirements to the development of formats of retail facilities, the organization of processes for the sale of goods and services, the management of commodity stocks, which ensure the acceleration of turnover, and the reduction of distribution costs;

Carrying out work on the creation and development information systems;

Coordination of exhibition, fair, advertising and foreign trade activities;

Consideration, within its competence, of complaints from citizens, including entrepreneurs, providing advice to legal entities and individuals on trade issues.

The Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Belarus focuses its activities to a greater extent on strategic issues, and local trade authorities, taking the initiative, aim their activities at the effective, innovative implementation of the tasks set.

Commercial services of specific trading organizations perform operational functions related to servicing the sale and purchase process and ensuring the efficiency of commercial activities.

For issues that are not within the competence of the Ministry of Trade, the norms determined by other ministries, such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Taxes and Duties, the Ministry of Economy, etc., which regulate issues of their competence related to commercial activities, are mandatory for trade organizations . At this level, the rules for conducting commercial activities, which are mandatory for all subjects of commercial legal relations, are formed by forming the legal framework for its functioning and organizing control over their observance.

In the system of consumer cooperation, which is subordinate to the above structures on general issues, the role industry level carried out by Belkoopsoyuz. Commercial work in Belkoopsoyuz is carried out by the Department of Trade of Belkoopsoyuz, which includes departments formed according to functional and product characteristics. In addition, the marketing department and Belkoopvneshtorg provide commercial activities within the framework of their tasks.

Main functions of the commercial service of Belkoopsoyuz are:

Managing the commercial activities of all business entities in its system and creating an effective relationship with other market entities;

Protection of the interests of cooperative trade in higher bodies;

Development of a strategy for the development of the trade sector of consumer cooperation;

Procurement management of business entities;

Dissemination of best practices, new technologies in the trade sector, including information technologies;

Interaction with the industry in order to protect their own interests;

Definition of strategy foreign economic activity;

Definition innovation policy Belkoopsoyuz in the trade sphere.

The implementation of the above commercial functions at the regional level is carried out by the commercial service of the regional consumer unions. It is represented by the Department of Trade of the regional consumer union, which has departments specialized in commodity and functional principles, departments involved in marketing and foreign economic activity.

In addition to the above functions, which the commercial service of the regional consumer union implements in the area of ​​its activity, it has to:

Justify the need for goods in the zone of its activity;

Organize work on the formation of commodity resources;

Manage commodity resources, optimally distributing them across the regions of the region, using effective ways and channels of distribution;

Work in contact with industry, including local and own sources of commodity supply;

Develop and implement a commercial strategy for the trading industry based on modern efficient technologies;

Provide a high level of trade service and consumer protection.

In the trading industry, the lowest level, engaged in commercial work on microlevel, are business entities, trading facilities of various formats with different sales volumes and functions. They are very diverse, so it is not possible to unify the structure of these services. What they have in common, however, is the performance of operational commercial functions, many of which are complex, costly and constantly critically evaluated by buyers.

Considering the wide variety of business entities engaged in commercial activities, and the differences in their goals and objectives, we will consider the structure and functions of wholesale and retail trade organizations and trade facilities.

The main functions of the commercial apparatus of a trade organization are distributed as job responsibilities of specialists in the commercial apparatus. These include:

Studying the market situation, the demand of the population in the area of ​​its activity;

Justification of the need for goods for their retail facilities;

Commodity resource management;

Implementation of contract work;

Implementation advanced technologies at trade facilities, their technical and material support;

Bringing retail facilities up to standard requirements, providing a high level of retail services, the necessary working conditions and the safety of inventory items;

Formation of demand and sales promotion;

Monitoring compliance with the law, regulatory framework, trade rules, consumer rights;

Ensuring cost-effective operation and competitiveness of a trade organization.

In the system of consumer cooperation, these functions are implemented by the district consumer society(raipo).

In a retail facility, all employees are engaged in commercial activities. The positive contribution of a particular store to the overall efficiency of the commercial activities of the trading organization as a whole largely depends on the understanding of each of them of their role. But still, it is possible to single out those who are responsible for organizing the commercial work of the store.

Overall responsibility rests with the store manager. In large stores, a commercial service can be created, represented by a sales department, or by individual specialists who will be engaged in commercial work. As a rule, these are merchandisers who perform the relevant official duties. An important role in the organization of the commercial work of the store is also played by the heads of departments, sections, sellers, cashiers-controllers.

The significance of the work performed by these workers lies in the fact that they ensure the completion of the process of moving the product from the manufacturer to the final consumer. It is on them that it often depends whether the sale of the goods will be carried out and whether the buyer will come to this store for a purchase again.

To the most important commercial functions employees of a trading facility (shop) should include:

Studying the demand of the population of its area of ​​activity;

The study of commercial facilities of competitors, their advantages, disadvantages;

Justification of batches and frequency of importation;

Formation of a competitive, cost-effective assortment;

Promotion of goods of a domestic manufacturer, the formation of a positive image of these goods;

Commercial work for the sale of goods and the provision of services;

Assortment management, ensuring its renewal taking into account demand, control over the availability of commodity stocks, compliance with the deadlines for the sale of goods, the safety of their consumption;

Ensuring a high culture of service;

Formation of a positive image of the store.

The commercial functions of wholesale trade are implemented by manufacturers and intermediary suppliers. Intermediary providers can be:

Wholesale organizations and unitary enterprises;

Wholesale intermediaries (distributors, brokers, brokerage houses, agents, dealers, etc.);

Organizers of wholesale turnover (wholesale fairs, auctions, commodity exchanges, wholesale and small wholesale markets, warehouse stores, etc.). Their diversity determines the different tasks and functions that they implement.

The commercial service of the wholesale trade organization reports to the director. Depending on the volume of work, it is possible that this work is managed by a commercial director. Specific functions are performed by specialists of the sales department. The trade department is divided by functions into specialists involved in wholesale purchases and wholesale, marketing. Departments may have a different set and number of specialists (chief merchandiser, heads sales departments, leading merchandisers by product groups, merchandisers-distributors, merchandisers-brackers, etc.).

Functions of the commercial service of wholesale trade organizations can be conditionally divided into three groups:

1) functions that ensure procurement work:

Study of suppliers, selection of the most attractive;

Choice of the form of wholesale purchases (at a fair, exchange, auction, etc.) and participation in their conduct;

Pre-contract work;

Work on the conclusion of contracts;

Organization of deliveries, execution of contracts, control over this process;

Formation of the assortment model of the wholesale base;

Claim work together with the legal service;

2) functions that provide wholesale:

Contractual work with buyers;

Managing the supply of goods in retail network, uninterrupted provision of stores in the zone of their activity in the required volume and within the agreed time frame;

Rationalization of importation schemes and the importation system as a whole;

Provision of services to wholesale buyers;

3) organizational and market functions:

Market research, analysis of its conjuncture;

Expansion of the service area, search for new suppliers and buyers;

Influence on production on issues of production of competitive goods in demand;

Formation of a set of demanded services;

Development of a commercial strategy;

Ensuring the profitable operation of the wholesale trade organization and a stable competitive position in the market.

The commercial functions of other wholesale intermediaries and organizers of the wholesale turnover due to their special specifics will be discussed in the section "Commercial activities in bulk purchases and wholesale".

1.7. Requirements for commercial service professionals

The commercial functions of business entities operating in the market are complex and varied. Therefore, specialists engaged in commercial activities belong to a special category of workers who must have a large amount of knowledge and skills to solve complex problems, comply with the legal regime in force in the territory of the respective country.

High qualification implies knowledge of the laws and regulations governing commercial activities, the ability to conduct trade negotiations, formalize relationships when establishing economic ties, defend the most favorable terms for the supply of goods, and ensure the implementation of the contract.

In his activities, the merchant must ensure the growth of the economic potential of the trade organization, increase its competitiveness and the formation of advantages over competitors.

Competitive advantage can be achieved through a unique selling proposition, the use of effective means of promoting the product to the market, merchandising, the service the consumer needs, etc. If the merchant manages to achieve significant competitive advantages, then he can count on successful work on the market.

A commercial service specialist must be able to identify strategic goals and ways to achieve them in order to effectively use all resources (financial, material, labor, information). This is possible with the high competence and professionalism of specialists capable of making informed innovative decisions.

Business will be successful and civilized if it is built on the basis of compliance business ethics. The ethics of a merchant is a system of social values ​​based on the principles that determine the correct and incorrect behavior in the process of business relations between partners in the market and affect the goals and means of achieving them.

Commercial and legal culture is the basis of a businesslike, civilized conduct of commercial activities, which ensures the formation of a positive image in the business world. Taking a bribe, producing unsustainable products, destroying resources, harming a partner, falsifying documents, embezzling funds are examples of unethical behavior that does not contribute to success. A merchant must follow the rules developed over decades if he sets as his goal a long and fruitful work in the market.

In order to be successful in business, a specialist must:

Possess analytical skills, scientific foresight, innovative thinking, quick and adequate response to the market situation;

Be able to take the initiative to connect commodity, financial and labor resources into a single process

Be able to make decisions that bring profit;

Show initiative and innovation;

Assess risks and justify ways to reduce them.

In a competitive environment, when organizing commercial activities, it is important not only to perform a technological function - to bring a product from the sphere of production to the sphere of consumption, but also to ensure its sale and after-sales service at the lowest cost. The most important requirements for commercial professionals are:

Understanding the essence of commercial activity as a market category, its role in the effective management of subjects in the market;

Possession of knowledge in the field of legal regulation of commerce and entrepreneurship in general;

Possession of tools and methods for planning and managing commercial activities for long (strategic) and short-term periods;

Knowledge of modern achievements and technologies and the ability to use them in commercial activities;

Possession of methods of complex market research, its conjuncture, timely and adequate response to ongoing changes;

Ability to identify needs and generate new ones;

Studying the consumer, his requirements for commercial components, the ability to look at his activities through the eyes of the consumer;

Possession of methods and models to justify commercial decisions to determine the need for goods, select suppliers and channels for the delivery of goods, optimize the range;

The ability to assess the effectiveness of commercial activities and risks, timely adjust the tactics of commercial activities, taking into account the real situation on the market.

To meet the above requirements, a specialist in commercial services must have knowledge of many disciplines, a broad outlook, market thinking.

Questions to control

1. What is a commercial activity? How is this concept defined?

2. What is the essence of commercial activity and what is its role in a competitive environment?

3. What tasks are solved in the process of commercial activity?

4. What factors determine the development of commercial activity?

5. What principles underlie the organization of commercial activities?

6. What functions are implemented through commercial activities in modern conditions?

7. Who can act as subjects of legal relations in commercial activities in the consumer goods market?

8. What is the object of management in the implementation of commercial operations in the consumer goods market?

9. What are the main elements that form the content of commercial activity and how are they characterized?

10. What are the features of commercial activity in wholesale and retail trade?

11. What are the functions of the commercial services of the Ministry of Trade and Belkoopsoyuz?

12. What are the differences between the functions of commercial services of trade departments of wholesale and retail trade organizations?

13. What are the requirements for specialists in commercial services in modern conditions?

* * *

The following excerpt from the book Commercial activity (S. N. Vinogradova, 2012) provided by our book partner -

What is commerce? The ability to resell more expensive? To some extent yes, but not only that. The concept of "commerce" is much broader, deeper in content and ability to carry it out.

Commerce - view commercial entrepreneurship or business, but noble business, the kind of business that is the basis of any truly civilized market economy.

Commerce - words of Latin origin (from Latin commercium - trade). However, it must be borne in mind that the term "trade" has a dual meaning: in one case it means an independent branch of the national economy (trade), in the other - trade processes aimed at the implementation of acts of sale and purchase of goods. Commercial activity is associated with the second concept of trade - trading processes for the implementation of acts of sale and purchase for the purpose of making a profit.

The Explanatory Dictionary of V.I. In other words, these concepts involve the implementation of acts of sale with the intention to buy cheaper and sell more expensive. In a broad sense, commerce is often understood as any activity aimed at making a profit.

However, such a broad interpretation of commercial activity is not consistent with the previously outlined approach to commerce as trading processes for the implementation of acts of sale of goods.

Commercial activity is a narrower concept than entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is the organization of economic, industrial and other activities that bring income to the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship can mean organization industrial enterprise, rural farm, trade enterprise, service enterprise, bank, law office, publishing house, research institution, cooperative, etc. Of all these types of entrepreneurial activity, only trading is a purely commercial activity. Thus, commerce should be considered as one of the forms (types) of entrepreneurial activity. At the same time, in some types of entrepreneurial activity, transactions can be carried out for the purchase and sale of goods, raw materials, prepared products, semi-finished products, etc., i.e. elements of commercial activity can be carried out in all types of entrepreneurship, but are not decisive or main for them.

Consequently, commercial work in trade is a vast area of ​​operational and organizational activities of trade organizations and enterprises aimed at completing the processes of buying and selling goods to meet the demand of the population and make a profit.

The act of purchase and sale of goods is based on the basic formula of commodity circulation - a change in the form of value:

D - T and T "- D"

It follows from this that commercial work in trade is a broader concept than a simple purchase and sale of goods, i.e. in order for the act of sale to take place, a trade entrepreneur needs to perform some operational, organizational and economic operations, including studying the demand of the population and the market for the sale of goods, finding suppliers and buyers of goods, establishing rational economic relations with them, transporting goods, advertising and information work for the sale of goods, the organization of trade services, etc.

Simply reselling goods for profit, or otherwise "making" money out of nothing, is essentially a speculative transaction that does not constitute a useful commercial activity (noble business).

Tasks and essence of business management

The activity of a commercial enterprise does not proceed independently. It is directed by people, regulated and controlled by them.

Management is a conscious human impact on objects and processes in order to give the enterprise a commercial orientation and obtain certain results.

As the complexity of production, management has become a special category, involving more and more participants. In the management of the enterprise, there are two parties: managers and managed. Those who manage are usually called subjects of management, they include administrators, managers, managers. The objects of management are those who are managed - workers, collectives, and what is managed - the economy, business, the trading process. The interaction of subjects and objects through control actions and feedback allows you to purposefully manage the comprehensive activities of the enterprise. Control actions are represented by laws, decrees, plans, programs, resolutions, standards, recommendations, instructions, material and financial incentives. Feedback- these are the results of direct observations and control by the subject of management, statistical and current reporting, accounting documentation. In the new business environment trade enterprises many methodological and practical provisions of domestic management turned out to be unacceptable. This is due to the fact that the science of management in our country has been developed with a focus on the interests of the state. Approaches to the formation of fundamental principles and methods were of a deliberate nature and were aimed at the management processes of state-owned enterprises.

The market management system has acquired particular importance in Russia in connection with the transition to a market economy. In the conditions of the market, there is a need to expand management tasks, develop new management techniques and methods suitable for various forms of ownership and the development of commercial activities of trading enterprises. In other words, a constant search for ways to improve management is expected. The process of managing a trading enterprise should be based on market principles and methodology modern management. Foreign management science has come a long way in its development. The prerequisites for this were:

economic laws of the market;

the dynamism of the consumer market;

hierarchical construction of the management structure with a focus on the strategic course in the activities of the enterprise;

the organization of the enterprise, determined by its integration and adaptability to changes in the external environment;

initial and resulting parameters.

A. Fayol created the theory of social production management, which formulated the principles of management based on the use of the potential resources of the enterprise. He singled out five initial functions in management: planning, organization, command, coordination and control. The objective need to create a management system consisting of interacting processes is disclosed by M. Kh. Meskon in his work “Fundamentals of Management”: “Management is a process, because work to achieve goals is not some kind of one-time action, but a series of interrelated continuous actions . These activities, each of which is a process in itself, are essential to the success of the enterprise. They are called managerial functions. Each managerial function is also a process, because it also consists of a series of interrelated actions. The management process is the total sum of all functions.

The above theoretical provisions give an idea of ​​the approaches to managing the commercial activities of an enterprise in market conditions. A market-oriented management system means not only the organization of the structure and the interconnected set of involved processes of the enterprise, but also their combination with all external factors. The management of commercial activity sets as its immediate task the introduction of a certain order into commercial and trade processes, the organization of joint actions of the employees participating in these processes, and the achievement of coherence and coordination of actions. At the same time, management is aimed at optimizing the work of employees in order to increase the efficiency of commercial processes and achieve the ultimate goals of the enterprise.

In modern conditions, the activity of a trading enterprise is associated with entrepreneurship, commerce, econometrics, economic cybernetics and informatics. This determines a new qualitative level and economic growth of the market. Should be built accordingly organizational structure management of a trading company.

Commercial activities of trading enterprises have much in common. However, specific management decisions, developed and implemented by some trading enterprises, cannot always be used by other enterprises. This is due to environmental factors at the stage of transition to a market economy, primarily changes in the consumer market. In addition, the internal conditions for the functioning of a trading enterprise also change over time. Therefore, the management process must be determined by the environmental parameters and their variables within the trade enterprise.

Commerce is a form of business that manifests itself in the creation and operation of enterprises whose activities are aimed at making a profit as a result of the sale of goods.
Commerce is the activity of legal entities and individuals engaged in the sale and purchase of goods, as well as their storage in order to meet consumer demand and receive profit as a result.
Commercial activity is an entrepreneurial activity focused on making a profit. His hallmarks can be considered initiative, flexibility, which involves constant assessment of the market situation, response to fluctuations in supply and demand in the market.
Commercial activity is a form of entrepreneurial activity (production or trade), as a result of which profit is made.
The essence of commercial activity is the buying, selling and marketing of products and services for profit. The market economy and commercial activity open up wide opportunities for initiative entrepreneurial people, creating potential prerequisites for developing their own business (business). Hundreds of new enterprises are constantly opening, most of which operate on a commercial basis. Small business is developing, albeit at an insufficient pace.
The scale of commercial activity in the sphere of commodity circulation is characterized by the following data. The number of economic entities of trade in 2006 is characterized by the following data (as of January 1, 2007). Wholesale trade organizations, including trade through agents - 460.0 thousand. Retail trade organizations, including trade in motor vehicles - 234.6. In addition, there were 1525.8 thousand people engaged in individual trading. Gross profit of wholesale and retail trade reached 3,718 billion rubles, and all commercial and administrative expenses - 2,474 billion rubles. As a percentage of the total turnover of trade organizations, this amounted to 20.8% and 13.8%, respectively. Thus, for 1 ruble of profit there is 1 ruble. 50 cents of expenses.
Persons professionally engaged in commercial activities are called merchants. Individuals who have full legal capacity and engage in any transactions for the purpose of making a profit, constantly or sporadically, may also be considered merchants. They are called individual merchants as opposed to collective ones. Collective merchants are, in particular, various types of commercial partnerships. In addition, collective merchants are commission agents and resellers.
A merchant is an entrepreneur who organizes and runs his own business (business) for profit and creates his product / service for sale, or resells a product created by another entrepreneur.
Commerce and commercial activities are inextricably linked with the concept of the market. The market of goods forms a system of purchase and sale relations, forms an economic space that unites buyers and sellers. The market is an area where goods are exchanged for money, a product finds a buyer and changes its owner, the consumer satisfies his demand, and the seller recovers his costs and makes a profit (or, conversely, suffers losses). At the same time, the commodity market is a kind of distribution tool that functions in accordance with the law of supply and demand. It is a self-regulating mechanism that brings sellers and buyers together and is designed to trade with each other. Many experts believe that the market is a collection of existing and potential sellers and buyers of specific goods. The consumer market is a segment of the goods market where the satisfaction of the personal needs of the population takes place.
In commerce important role play property relations. You can only sell the goods that are the property of the seller. Ownership of a commodity results from ownership of the enterprise that produces or trades in the commodity.
In accordance with the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, any individuals and legal entities that have ownership rights to goods or funds can engage in commerce. A legal entity is an organization that has separate property in ownership, economic management or operational management and is liable for its obligations with this property, can acquire and exercise property and personal non-property rights on its own behalf, must bear obligations, be a plaintiff and defendant in court, and also have an independent balance and estimate. Commercial organizations are subject to mandatory registration with the judicial authorities in the manner prescribed by law.
The most important category of commerce is property, which is the inalienable right of an individual or legal entity to use it for their own benefit or for the benefit of some other person. Ownership finds its manifestation in the relations of possession, disposal, use of property objects. The owner or possessor of property responsibility is responsible for the conservation and rational use of the use of these objects. Property is property or financial resources owned by an individual or legal entity. In commercial activities, there are various types of property: state, personal, joint-stock, individual, share, joint, common, labor, collective, communal, cooperative and private property.
The driving force behind commerce is entrepreneurial activity or entrepreneurship. It is based on the initiative of individuals (or persons) to create or purchase certain property and use it for profit. Thus, entrepreneurship in commerce is an independent activity carried out at one's own risk, aimed at the systematic receipt of profit from the use of property, the sale of goods, the performance of work or the provision of services by persons registered in this capacity in the manner prescribed by law. Entrepreneurship of individuals without forming a legal entity (individual entrepreneurs - PBOYuL) is called individual.
An enterprise is an independent economic entity with the rights of a legal entity that produces products, goods, services, performs work, and engages in various types of economic activity. The concept of entrepreneurship and enterprise is inextricably linked with the definition of the form of ownership. In commerce, there are the following forms of ownership:
unitary enterprise - is a commercial organization that is not endowed with the right of ownership of the property assigned to it; unitary is the state or municipal enterprise, whose property is assigned to a commercial organization, but not transferred to it;
state property - state-owned unitary trade and marketing and purchasing enterprises;
municipal property- some of the unitary retail trade enterprises managed by municipal authorities.
partnership or limited liability company (LLP and LLC) - entity, established by one or more persons, the authorized capital of which is divided into certain shares (the amount of which is established by the constituent documents). LLP and
LLC - the main part of the privatized sales and retail trade enterprises, as well as some of the wholesale enterprises;
joint-stock company (JSC) - a business company, authorized capital which is divided into a certain number of shares (sometimes with the participation of foreign capital); an open joint stock company (OJSC) distributes its shares through open sale, it is obliged to annually publish for general information the annual report, balance sheet, profit and loss account; a closed joint stock company (CJSC) distributes its shares in the form of a closed subscription by decision of the founders.
private enterprises - as a rule, small trade enterprises, small retail chains and individual sellers;
enterprises of a cooperative form of ownership, in particular, consumer cooperation.
In addition, there are enterprises of other forms of ownership, including joint ventures with foreign capital (JV).
The results of privatization seriously affected the structure of trade turnover by form of ownership. This is evidenced by the following data.
AT catering in 1990, the share of the state and municipal sector in the total volume of trade was 85.9%. private sector - 14.1%. In 2000, the share of the state and municipal sector was 20.3%, private - 46.4% and other forms of ownership - 33.3%. In 2006 - respectively: 9.4%, 64.0% and 26.6% /.
Consequently, over the past years, fundamental changes have taken place in the forms of ownership of retail trade and public catering. If in the early 1990s trade was dominated by state form property, then by the end of the period under study, private trade became the main form of ownership in trade and public catering.
Manufacturing enterprises engaged in the marketing of manufactured products also belong to various forms property: state (federal and municipal), mixed, private and property joint ventures. Along with individual manufacturing plants commercial type commercial entities include various associations: concerns - industrial complexes; conglomerates - diversified associations; consortia - associations of enterprises on a contractual basis to perform a specific task; financial and industrial groups (FIGs) - association of production, investment and credit and financial enterprises and institutions in the form of joint-stock companies, purchase of shares and other integration manifestations; holdings and sub-holdings - enterprises that own shares of other companies, the so-called. subsidiaries.
An organizational unity is inherent in a commercial enterprise, it must have separate property that it manages independently, it bears property responsibility for its actions and obligations. A commercial enterprise must have its own name (name). The concept of a commercial enterprise often coincides with the concept of a commercial organization, i.e. groups of individuals or legal entities whose activities are coordinated to achieve common goals and objectives related to making a profit.
Before an entrepreneur production activities on a commercial basis, there is a dual goal: to create a product, and then sell it (market) and as a result make a profit. The commercial activity of manufacturing enterprises provides for the development of a targeted marketing policy. The marketing process involves not only manufacturers, but also professional resellers (distributors, agents and dealers), some of which have their own or leased sales and purchasing network. Typically, distributors have ownership rights. Another participant in trade and marketing activities are sales agents who carry out their activities on someone else's behalf and do not have property rights. Sometimes jobbers are involved in the organization of the sale of goods - small firms, although they have ownership rights to the purchased goods, but do not have a warehouse network and therefore are forced to trade “on wheels” or on a “just-in-time” basis (exactly and on time). The system of dealers - resellers, who are also engaged in sales and after-sales services, has become widespread. However, dealers operate primarily in specialized retail trade.
It must be borne in mind that in order to make a profit, it is necessary to sell / sell goods, i.e. receive a cash equivalent for it, one part of which is intended to reimburse investments and current costs, and the other part forms a profit. This is the most important condition for commerce.
The merchant, of course, seeks to maximize profits. Here are five ways to increase profits:
a) provide better than competitors, the quality of goods;
b) develop a better organization and technology for the sale of goods than competitors;
c) take advantage of favorable market conditions;
d) apply marketing methods stimulation of demand of buyers;
e) ensure the reduction of production and distribution costs, etc.?
Business management requires knowledge of the essence of the processes associated with bringing the product to the consumer, the characteristics of the state and development of the market, the ability to assess and predict the market situation. Without the collection of sound, reliable information and its subsequent analysis, the marketing of a commercial enterprise will not be able to fully fulfill its mission, which is to satisfy the various needs of buyers and to stimulate the emergence of new requests. One of its basic requirements is to ensure the "transparency" of the market and the predictability of commercial activities.
the commission of an act of sale: sets a task, performs actions to determine a possible range of buyers or to find a specific buyer, negotiates, puts forward and discusses the conditions, and, finally, makes a deal.
A commercial transaction is the actions of subjects of commerce: on the mutual search for a seller and a buyer, on the promotion and discussion of the terms of a sale and purchase transaction, on its execution and completion.
It is believed that an entrepreneur who adheres to the ideology of marketing is focused on meeting consumer demand. This is indisputable, but the mechanism of this orientation is purely commercial. What does it mean to meet demand? Sell ​​a product to the buyer, quantitatively and qualitatively corresponding to his needs. In a civilized market, this is the only way to make a profit. If an entrepreneur wants to make a big profit, then he is forced to better (more fully) satisfy demand, often using marketing methods to stimulate it. It should be clearly understood that in a market economy the only way to make a profit (apart from criminal methods) is the sale of any property that appears on the market in the form of a commodity.
The product of human labor or natural activity, as well as an action that has customer value(utility) and intended for sale are a commodity. A product can have both a tangible (object) and intangible form (action, service, intellectual product).
The commercial process begins with the fact that the product leaves the sphere of production and is involved in the sphere of commodity circulation, where it is bought, stored, resold, etc., until, finally, it reaches the sphere of consumption. In other words, the market is changing the owner of the goods. This process is called commodity circulation, which is carried out in the form of a sale. The product has a new owner, and the previous owner of the product the act of changing ownership should bring profit. This is essentially the purpose of creating and then selling a product. Therefore, the concept of goods is inextricably linked with the concept of commercial activity.
From the very beginning production process the entrepreneur is faced with the task of producing a product and ensuring its compliance with technological standards. But from the moment when the product is created, the problem arises - to whom, when and how to sell it? The manufacturer, who is also the first owner of the goods, after entering the market becomes a seller, and therefore a merchant. Although in fact he is a businessman already when he creates his own business. Thus, for an entrepreneur, doing business is necessary step business with the aim of making a profit.
It can be said that there are two types of merchants: professional manufacturers, for whom the main activity is production, and the sale / marketing of goods is only a means to recover costs and make a profit, and professional traders (usually resellers), for whom the main activity is buying and then reselling a product. In addition, professional traders are individual sellers, for most of whom the sale is final stage trading activity. For those and for others ultimate goal their activity is profit, and the instrument for obtaining it is trade.
At the same time, the buyer in the market acts as if in two persons: firstly, as a consumer of the purchased goods, and, secondly, as a speculator (in the market sense of the word), who bought the goods for the purpose of resale. These buyers include distributors and dealers who help bring the product to the consumer, as well as resellers, wedged into the process of product distribution.
In commercial activity, one should distinguish between an object and a subject.
The object of commerce is: a product that is sold for the purpose of making a profit, and the money paid for it and then serving as a source of profit.
The subject of commerce is a merchant, i.e. a natural or legal person professionally engaged in commerce.
Commerce is a bipolar phenomenon: the seller is at one pole, the buyer is at the other. If at least one of them is missing, the commercial process is interrupted, as it were, “freezes”. Both participants are required to sell/buy goods. Each of them is the subject of commerce.
Thus, both the seller and the buyer can act as subjects of commerce: the seller sells goods to the buyer for profit, the buyer purchases goods from the seller in order to satisfy his own need, or resell it for profit. However, their role in the commercial process is not the same. In commerce, active and passive participants in commercial activities are distinguished.
Active subjects of commerce are entrepreneurs who produce a product / service for subsequent sale and become sellers, enterprises and individuals who purchase goods for the purpose of further resale (resellers and speculators-dealers). The seller can be any owner of the property, in particular:
manufacturer - industrial, agricultural, construction and other manufacturing enterprise, or an individual selling their products;
trading or purchasing enterprise, as well as market speculators reselling the goods they have purchased;
legal entities and individuals who simultaneously sell their property
The owner of the product, the seller is an active subject of commerce because he offers the product, making certain marketing efforts to promote it to the market. At the same time, each of the possible sellers has their own interests in the commercial process: the manufacturer needs to sell the goods he created, the reseller helps to bring the goods to the consumer. His participation is due to the objective conditions of commodity circulation. The reseller, on the other hand, intervenes in the process of product distribution without such an objective necessity, complicating it and increasing the final price that the consumer will pay, only for his own benefit, wanting to snatch some share of the potential profit. Dealers often complicate the process of product distribution, slow down its speed, which naturally increases the cost of this process and contributes to price growth.
A passive subject of commerce, with a certain degree of conditionality, can be considered a buyer-consumer, who is the owner of money and the bearer of demand. But it should be borne in mind that an organized buyer (for example, a consumer firm), in turn, is quite actively taking a number of marketing actions aimed at concluding a deal. The buyer agrees or disagrees with the conditions proposed by the seller, he determines the quantity and quality of the purchased goods, argues about the price, puts forward counter conditions, and when an agreement is reached, he makes a purchase, i.e. pays the money and takes the goods. As we will see below, the buyer himself, on his own initiative, can offer to conclude a deal. However, the seller is in charge of the goods. The role of the individual buyer looks more passive. He has two options to influence the trading process: choose the seller and either agree to the purchase or reject it.
It must be borne in mind that the seller is always a merchant, and the buyer can also be a merchant (a reseller/dealer who purchases goods for subsequent resale), or a consumer who purchases goods to satisfy his own needs, both personal and professional.
As an object of commerce, one should consider the product and the money paid for it. The product is produced, advertised, offered to the buyer, sold (marketed), transported, stored, resold and, ultimately, consumed. A kind of castling takes place between the seller and the buyer: goods and money mutually change their owners.
In the commodity market, there are two forms of commercial sale of goods: sales, i.e. sale by the manufacturer of his own products, the purpose of which is the transformation of the commodity form of capital into cash, and trade and intermediary sales, which are carried out by professional sellers - enterprises specializing in the sale of goods. These latter alternately change their status in the market, turning from a buyer into a seller until the product is sold to the final consumer. Thus, marketing is the initial stage on the way of movement of goods.
Commercial relations are based on a number of principles. These include:
a) the existence of economic, legal and financial relations of sale and purchase between commercial entities based on the right of ownership;
b) the desire of the merchant to ensure his interests, regardless of whether this promotes or hinders the interests of other participants in the commercial process;
c) carrying out its strategy by any means (with the exception of those prohibited by law) up to the rigid imposition of its requirements, if the counterparties do not agree to accept the proposed conditions;
d) encouragement of business initiative, the use of intuitive decisions based on experience and knowledge of the business environment, on the one hand, and the application of scientific methods of managing the trading process, on the other;
e) willingness to take risks for the sake of the prospect of obtaining greater profits.