Business Aims & Objectives (AQA GCSE Business)

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Lisa Eades

Written by: Lisa Eades

Reviewed by: Steve Vorster

What are Business Aims & Objectives?

  • Business aims are the long-term goals or aspirations of an organisation

  • Business objectives are the specific, measurable outcomes that businesses hope to achieve in a given time period

  • Every successful business needs to have clear aims and objectives that guide its operations and focus the efforts of all employees towards the same goal 

    • Aims and objectives are critical for businesses to function effectively and achieve long-term success

    • E.g. A business's aim may be to become the market leader in a particular industry

      • Suitable objectives may include increasing sales by 25% over the next three years, improving customer satisfaction by 15%, and expanding into new geographic markets

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Business objectives are derived from the overall business aim

  • Objectives are most useful when they are SMART

    • Specific: it states precisely what is to be achieved

    • Measurable: the desired outcome is expressed in quantitative terms

    • Achievable: it is possible with the people and resources involved 

    • Realistic: it is possible within the set timeframe

    • Time specific: the timeframe or date by which the objective is to be achieved is clear

  • An example of a SMART objective might be for a business to increase its sales revenue by 10% by the end of the year

The role of Business Aims & Objectives

  • Aims and objectives allow managers to determine and communicate exactly what they want the business to achieve

    • Managers can set targets and goals for employees and workplace teams

      • Aims and objectives can act as motivators, as workers can understand the contribution of their hard work to business success

      • Employees may receive a financial reward for their progress towards meeting objectives

    • Investors and other interested stakeholders can understand the direction the business is choosing to pursue

      • This can help them decide whether to align themselves with the business

    • Priorities can be determined when making business decisions

      • Decisions that have a direct impact on the achievement of aims and objectives can be considered before others

The main Business Objectives

  • Many businesses pursue one or more of a range of common business objectives

    • Many of these are financially-focused

      • Aims and objectives are centred on increasing revenue or profit, reducing costs, maximising shareholder value or ensuring survival

    • Businesses may also pursue non-financial aims and objectives

      • These may include fulfilling personal ambitions, making a positive contribution to society or improving employee welfare

Examples of Common Business Objectives


Objective


Explanation

Survival

  • A common objective in the early stages of trading

    • 60% of UK start-ups fail within their first three years

    • Common reasons for failure include poor cashflow, low sales and unexpected costs

    • It will involve minimising costs and taking steps to grow sales quickly, at a low price if necessary

Growth

  • Businesses often achieve growth by increasing sales

    • Persuading customers to buy products more often or in greater quantities to increase sales revenue and expand the business

    • Appealing to new market segments creates opportunities to sell to customers who may not have been previously aware of the business and its brands

Profit

  • Ensuring sales revenue received is greater than business costs 

    • This allows for financial security as a business and its owners can pay all the overheads and have some in reserve to pay for unexpected emergencies

Market share

  • This is the percentage of the total market revenue that a single business or brand achieves

    • Costa had an 8% market share of 'out-of-home' coffee consumption in the UK in 2020

  • If market share is increasing, it means that the firm is competing effectively with rivals

Shareholder value

  • A common objective for public limited companies is to increase share price and dividends payable to shareholders

    • Having this objective helps attract new investors and satisfy existing shareholders

Customer satisfaction

  • A business may aim to achieve customer satisfaction by delivering high-quality products, providing excellent customer service and offering attractive pricing

    • E.g. Wagamama restaurants aim to achieve customer satisfaction by offering a welcoming atmosphere, friendly service and delicious food

Social and ethical objectives

  • Social objectives emphasise a business's commitment to addressing social or environmental issues

    • E.g. Superdry aims to reduce its environmental impact by using sustainable materials and minimising waste, while treating its workers fairly and supporting the communities where it operates

Financial security

  • Business owners may simply want to earn a living from the risk and effort they put in

    • Satisficing may be enough for a business owner to pursue their chosen lifestyle

      • E,g, During the summer months, Lesley Mann runs her small eco guesthouse in St Ives, Cornwall and chooses to spend each winter working with animal charities in Turkey

Examiner Tips and Tricks

In the exam, you could be asked to identify common business objectives. The question may ask specifically for financial or non-financial objectives. Make sure that your answer is specific to this question stem.

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Lisa Eades

Author: Lisa Eades

Expertise: Business Content Creator

Lisa has taught A Level, GCSE, BTEC and IBDP Business for over 20 years and is a senior Examiner for Edexcel. Lisa has been a successful Head of Department in Kent and has offered private Business tuition to students across the UK. Lisa loves to create imaginative and accessible resources which engage learners and build their passion for the subject.

Steve Vorster

Author: Steve Vorster

Expertise: Economics & Business Subject Lead

Steve has taught A Level, GCSE, IGCSE Business and Economics - as well as IBDP Economics and Business Management. He is an IBDP Examiner and IGCSE textbook author. His students regularly achieve 90-100% in their final exams. Steve has been the Assistant Head of Sixth Form for a school in Devon, and Head of Economics at the world's largest International school in Singapore. He loves to create resources which speed up student learning and are easily accessible by all.