Discover Types of Businesses: Goods and Services Around You!

A business is a place where people work to give you things you need. Some businesses sell goods, and some businesses provide services. You can find businesses all around your community, just like you learned about Community Helpers.

When you go to a store or visit a doctor, you are using a business. Businesses help you and your family every single day.

A good is something you can touch, hold, and take home. You can buy goods at stores in your community. Bread, toys, books, shoes, and apples are all examples of goods.

When a bakery sells you a muffin, that muffin is a good. When a toy shop sells you building blocks, those blocks are goods too. Goods are physical things you can put in a bag and carry home.

A service is a helpful task that one person does for another person. You cannot hold a service or take it home in a bag. A dentist cleaning your teeth, a teacher helping you read, and a bus driver taking you to school are all services.

When a plumber fixes a leaky pipe, that is a service. When a librarian helps you find a book, that is a service too. Services are actions that help you.

Some businesses sell only goods. A bookstore sells storybooks and colouring books. A shoe store sells running shoes and boots. A grocery store sells apples, milk, and bread. A toy store sells dolls and building blocks.

A farmer who grows wheat or potatoes and sells them at a market is also selling goods. Goods are things that are made or grown and then sold to you.

Some businesses provide only services. A hair salon cuts and styles your hair. A doctor checks if you are healthy. A firefighter keeps you safe from danger. A postal worker delivers letters to your home.

A swimming instructor teaches you how to swim. A bus driver moves you around the city. These workers all do helpful tasks for people in the community.

Some businesses give you both goods and services at the same time. A restaurant sells you food, which is a good. The restaurant also cooks and serves your food, which is a service.

Many businesses in your community combine goods and services to help people. This is why communities need many different types of businesses.

Good: A good is a physical thing you can touch, hold, and take home. Examples of goods are bread, books, toys, shoes, and apples. You can buy goods at stores.

Service: A service is a helpful action or task that one person does for another person. You cannot hold a service. A haircut, a doctor visit, and a bus ride are all services.

Business: A business is a place where people work to sell goods or provide services to others. Stores, restaurants, and clinics are all types of businesses.

Physical item: A physical item is something real that you can see and touch. Goods are physical items. A coat, a book, and a pair of mittens are physical items.

Community: Your community is the area where you live, go to school, and spend time. Businesses in your community help you and your family every day.

Your community needs both goods and services to work well. Without businesses that sell goods, you could not buy food, clothes, or toys. Without businesses that provide services, you could not get a haircut, see a doctor, or ride a bus.

You will learn more about how money works with businesses when you explore Introduction to Money. You will also learn how to make smart choices about goods and services when you study Making Choices and Making Simple Decisions.

You already learned about Community Helpers, which showed you the people who work to help others. That knowledge helps you understand how businesses and workers provide goods and services.

You also know about Roles of Community Workers and Roles in Different Settings, which connect to the jobs people do inside businesses. Learning about Essential Community Services and Community Resources helps you see how services support your daily life.

Next, you will go deeper into Goods and Services, explore Jobs in Communities, and discover Community Services for Basic Needs. You can also learn how your local leaders help with Functions and Services of Local Government.

All of these topics connect to what you are learning about types of businesses:

• Community Helpers You learned about helpers in your community. These helpers often work in businesses that provide goods or services.
• Essential Community Services You will see how important services like fire stations and hospitals help your community every day.
• Roles of Community Workers You will learn what different workers do, and many of them work in businesses that sell goods or services.
• Community Resources You will discover the resources your community uses, including businesses that provide goods and services.
• Roles in Different Settings You will explore how people have different roles in places like stores, schools, and hospitals.
• Introduction to Money You will learn how money is used to buy goods and pay for services from businesses.
• Making Choices You will practice choosing between different goods and services based on what you need.
• Making Simple Decisions You will learn how to make simple decisions when picking goods or services.
• Functions and Services of Local Government You will see how your local government also provides services to help your community.
• Goods and Services You will go deeper into understanding goods and services after this topic.
• Jobs in Communities You will explore the many jobs people do in businesses that sell goods and services.
• Community Services for Basic Needs You will learn how services help people meet their most important needs every day.