Though we may think of business as a modern occurrence, it has actually been around for almost as long as we have. The strict structures and rules that are now in place to try and make sure that businesses behave ethically are relatively new but we have been trading and bartering and selling things since we could walk upright.
Business is simply a system of bartering, a part of our history that has developed as we have. Instead of swapping a knife made out of bone for a basket full of grain, we swap currency for things like food, petrol and sometimes even laser eye surgery. We still trade; the only difference is that now we have a standardised system of payment.
This is the foundation of any business – trading services for money. Some services are ones which we rely upon, such as gas, electricity, water and plumbing. The same can be said of health care and insurance.
But there are also other services offered by businesses which are more of a luxury. Eating at a restaurant is taking advantage of their services – you trade your money for their food and hopefully good service.
Currency and business have become very complicated entities, always marred by problems. But if we think of it in its most basic forms, it might help make sense of it all.