Business encyclopedia

Learn everything there is to know about running a business

Use the topic list below to navigate Shopify’s business encyclopedia. From retail and enterprise to branding and entrepreneurship, you’ll find everything you need to know about building a successful business. If you can’t find the topic you’re looking for, use the search bar above for a list of relevant articles.

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Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

ERP is a comprehensive software platform used to help a business run more efficiently and effectively by automating core processes.

Business License

A business license grants the owner the right to start and run a business.

Stock Keeping Unit (SKU)

A SKU is a unique code consisting of letters and numbers that identify characteristics about each product.

Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

A unique selling proposition, more commonly referred to as a USP, is the one thing that makes your business better than the competition.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the making of goods by hand or by machine that upon completion the business sells to a customer.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is the process of raising money for a business, project, or charitable cause from many individual donors – the crowd.