About Commerce
All people have needs and wants. We all need food, clothing and shelter to survive - these are called our needs.

Most Australian families, however, are able to afford extra goods and services to make life easier. These are called wants.

It is because we have needs and wants that the world of commerce exists.

Commerce looks at how we satisfy our needs and wants. To see how we satisfy our wants we look at seven areas that depend on, and are related to, one another. On the diagram can you see how these areas fit together to form our economy?

In our economy people obtain money (an income) by selling their labour to businesses to assist in the production of goods and services. This money income is then used to buy the goods and services that have been produced. People who buy and use goods are called consumers. We are all consumers. Consumers, businesses, labour and government all keep records to show the movement of money, goods and services.

Our three levels of government provide a suitable framework in which our economy can function efficiently.

1. They satisfy our collective wants such as
   • communication
   • defence
   • assistance to people unable to earn an income for themselves
2. They also provide laws which protect
   • consumers
   • businesses
   • investors
   • labour
3. They facilitate the flow of goods and services needed to satisfy our needs and wants.

Year 7-10 topics cover business, consumers, government, labour, money and records.

Aboriginal Studies Business Studies Commerce Economics Geography Legal Studies Studies of Religion Society and Culture

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