individual enterprise

[/ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəl ˈɛntərpraɪz/]
nounpl: individual enterprises
empresa individual
1. A business owned and operated by a single person, who is personally responsible for all debts and liabilities
She decided to start an individual enterprise rather than join an existing corporation.
Ela decidiu abrir uma empresa individual em vez de se juntar a uma corporação existente.
2. A self-employed person or sole proprietorship business entity
The individual enterprise allowed him to maintain complete control over his business decisions.
A empresa individual permitiu que ele mantivesse controle completo sobre as decisões do negócio.
3. In legal/commercial contexts, a business structure where one person holds all ownership and bears all financial risk
Individual enterprises are popular among freelancers and small business owners.
Empresas individuais são populares entre freelancers e pequenos empresários.
In Brazil, individual enterprises (empresas individuais) are a common entry point to formalized business, especially among small entrepreneurs in informal markets. The government has simplified registration processes to encourage formalization. In the USA, similar entities are called 'sole proprietorships' and represent the most common business structure for startups and self-employed professionals.
NYC Slang
mom-and-pop shop, one-man operation
Synonyms / Sinônimos
sole proprietorshipself-employed businessone-person businessindependent enterprise
Antonyms / Antônimos
partnershipcorporationlimited liability companyjoint venture

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
empresa individual
Standard legal and commercial term used throughout Brazil
São Paulo
microempresa individual
Often used in São Paulo's business-centric context
Rio de Janeiro
empresa individual
Standard usage; sometimes referred to as 'negócio próprio'
Portugal
empresa individual
Same terminology used in Portugal's legal framework

Related Words

entrepreneurself-employmentbusiness licensemicroenterprisestartup

Related Idioms & Phrases

going solo
being your own boss
striking out on your own
self-made entrepreneur
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