Pros and Cons of Sole Proprietorship and Partnership

ASSIGNMENT
Summarize the pros and cons of sole proprietorship and partnership
The Pros of a Sole Proprietorship
 You are in business quickly and easily.

 There are hardly any restrictions and very few forms to fill out.
 As a sole proprietor, you control all of the money made by the business.
 You make all business operation calls.
 You are management and, thus, can respond more quickly to day-to-day changes and
decisions.
 You experience less government control and taxation. You don’t have to keep
incorporation records and annual corporate records.
 You don’t have to do a separate tax return for the business and you don’t have to prepare
a balance sheet for the business.
The Cons of a Sole Proprietorship
 As a sole proprietor, you are responsible for 100 percent of all business debts and
obligations. This liability covers all of the proprietor’s assets, including his or her house and car.
Additional insurance coverage may be needed to cover personal injury or physical loss that may
hamper the continuity of the business.
 The death, physical impairment, or mental incapacitation of the owner can result in the
termination of the business.
 It is typically more difficult for sole proprietors to raise operating cash or arrange long-
term financing because they have fewer assets.
 All the decision-making power rests with one individual.
 A sole proprietorship appears less professional than a corporation or an LLC.
The pros of a partnership

Easy to get started
The partners can agree to create the partnership verbally or in writing. There’s no need to register
with Companies House and registering the business partnership for taxation with HMRC is quite
simple. The partners will also individually need to register for self-assessment, which they can
do online.
Although it will take longer and incur additional cost, it’s usually sensible to put in place a
partnership agreement. This documents how the partnership will work, the rights and
responsibilities of partners and what would happen in various possible situations, including if the
partners fundamentally disagree or someone wants to leave.
Sharing the burden
Compared to operating on your own as a sole trader, by working in a business partnership you
can benefit from companionship and mutual support. Starting and managing a business alone can
feel stressful and daunting, particularly if you’ve not done it before. In a partnership, you’re in it
together.
Better decision-making
Compared with operating on your own, in a partnership the business benefits from the unique
perspective brought by each partner. In business, very often two heads really are better than one,
with the combined conclusion of debating a situation far better than what each partner could
have achieved individually.
Privacy
Compared to a limited company, the affairs of a partnership business can be kept confidential by
the partners. By contrast, in a limited company certain documents are available for public
inspection at Companies House and a company’s shareholders can choose to inspect various
registers and other documents the company is required to keep.
More partners, more capital
The more partners there are, the more money there may be available from their combined
resources to invest into the business, which can help to fuel growth. Together, their borrowing
capacity is also likely to be greater.
Easy access to profits
In a business partnership, the profits of the business are shared between the partners. They flow
directly through to the partners’ personal tax returns rather than initially being retained within the
partnership. In a limited company, by contrast, profits are retained by the company until paid out,
whether as salaries under PAYE or, with the approval of shareholders, as dividends.
The cons of partnership
Limited access to capital
While a combination of partners is likely to be able to contribute more capital than a sole trader,
a partnership will often still find it more difficult to raise money than a limited company.
Banks may prefer the greater accounting transparency, separate legal personality and sense of
permanence that a limited company provides. To the extent that a partnership business is seen as
higher risk, a bank will either be unwilling to lend or will only do so on less generous terms.
Potential for differences and conflict
By going into business as a general partnership rather than a sole trader, you lose your autonomy.
You probably won’t always get your own way, and each partner will need to demonstrate
flexibility and the ability to compromise.
There will be the potential for differences, large or small, with other partners. These might relate
to:
 The strategic direction in which the business should go (or how to get there)
 How to handle any number of discrete business issues that may arise
 Different views on how partners should be rewarded when they put different amounts of
time, skills and level of investment into the business
 Ambition. Some may want to dedicate every waking moment to growing and developing
the business, while others may want a quieter life
Differences might not be evident immediately. Over time, partners’ preferences, personal
situations and expectations may change so the fact they are aligned at the start is far from a
guarantee that cracks won’t appear later.
Disagreements and disputes can not only harm the business but also damage the relationship
between the individuals involved. Conflict can be a major distraction, absorbing the partners’
time, energy and money.
Slower, more difficult decision making
Compared to running a business as a sole trader, decision-making can be slower as you’ll need to
consult and discuss matters with your partners. Where you disagree, time will be spent
negotiating to build agreement or consensus. Sometimes this might mean opportunities are
missed. More often, it will frustrate a partner who has been used to making all the decisions for
their business.
Profits must be shared
At a basic level, while a sole trader retains all the profits of their business, those of a partnership
are shared amongst the partners. By default, under the Partnerships Act 1890, profits are shared
equally, although that position can be amended by a partnership agreement.
Sharing profits equitably can raise difficult questions. How do you value different partners’
respective skills? What happens when one partner is seen to be putting in less time and effort
into the partnership, but still taking their share of the profits? It’s easy for resentment to occur if
there doesn’t appear to be a fair balance between effort and reward.
Personally demanding
Although there’s at least one other person to share the worry and workload with, in a partnership
business the partners still essentially are the business. It can absorb a lot of time and energy and
disrupt your work/life balance, particularly where you end up covering for other partners who
don’t have such a strong work ethic. By contrast, in a limited company it’s easier for the owners
of the business – its shareholders – to appoint directors to manage the business, at least on a day
to day basis.

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ASSIGNMENT

Summarize the pros and cons of sole proprietorship and partnership

The Pros of a Sole Proprietorship

 You are in business quickly and easily.

The Cons of a Sole Proprietorship

The pros of a partnership

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