The economic environment consists of external factors in a business' market and the broader economy that can influence a business. You can divide the economic environment into the microeconomic environment, which affects business decision-making such as individual actions of firms and consumers, and the macroeconomic environment, which affects an entire economy and all of its participants. Many economic factors act as external constraints on your business, which means that you have little, if any, control over them. Let's take a look at both of these broad factors in more detail
Macroeconomic influences are broad economic factors that either directly or indirectly affect the entire economy and all of its participants, including your business. These factors include such things as:
Interest rates
Taxes
Inflation
Currency exchange rates
Consumer discretionary income
Savings rates
Consumer confidence levels
Unemployment rate
Recession
Depression
Microeconomic factors influence how your business will make decisions. Unlike macroeconomic factors, these factors are far less broad in scope and do not necessarily affect the entire economy as a whole. Microeconomic factors influencing a business include:
Market size
Demand
Supply
Competitors
Suppliers
Distribution chain - such as retailer stores
Why Is It Important?
The economic environment of business will play a pivotal role in determining the success or failure of a business.
Let's first consider some macroeconomic factors. If interest rates are too high, the cost of borrowing may not permit a business to expand. On the other hand, if unemployment rate is high, businesses can obtain labor at cheaper costs. However, if unemployment is too high, this may result in a recession and less discretionary consumer spending resulting in insufficient sales to keep the business going. Tax rates will take a chunk of your income and currency exchange rates can either help or hurt the exporting of your