In business, an independent business as a term of distinction generally refers to privately owned companies (as opposed to those companies owned publicly through a distribution of shares on the market). Independent businesses most commonly take the form of sole-proprietorships. "Independent" is frequently used to distinguish one-of-a-kind businesses from corporate chains or conglomerates.
Other terms of distinction used in addition to independent businesses include small business, locally-owned business and startup business, which have varying subtleties of distinction.
Independent is usually referred to as Indie.
Famous quotes containing the words independent and/or business:
“So far as I am individually concerned, & independent of my pocket, it is my earnest desire to write those sort of books which are said to “fail.””
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“We are told it will be of no use for us to ask this measure of justice—that the ballot be given to the women of our new possessions upon the same terms as to the men—because we shall not get it. It is not our business whether we are going to get it; our business is to make the demand.... Ask for the whole loaf and take what you can get.”
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906)