Can I Operate My Business as a Non-Profit?

By Jeffrey Steinberger of Entrepreneur.com



People own and operate various business entities. Some organizations operate as non-profits. What is a non-profit? Can you conduct your business as one?

The answer is that a business organization cannot be operated as a non-profit, although some non-profits may look like businesses. Generally, the purpose of a business entity is to benefit the owners or principals of the business by earning them a financial profit.

A for-profit business organization can take any of the common legal forms, such as corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures. Thus, a for-profit corporation exists to financially benefit its stockholders by the payment of dividends, and an unincorporated entity, such as a partnership, exists to financially benefit its members by the distribution of income.

Rather than earning a profit for its owners, a non-profit is an organization that has no owners and that has as its purpose the promotion, advancement and achievement of a specific mission. Like a business, a non-profit can take the form of a corporation or an unincorporated group of persons banded together to achieve their mission. ...