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Business’s vs Businesses’ vs Businesses – Which One Is Correct?

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Are you not sure whether you should use the word Business’s vs Businesses’ vs Businesses? If so, then you are in the right place.

In this post, we are going to talk about the differences between these words, and then we are going to take a look at some examples of how to use them correctly.

Let’s begin.

Companies vs Company's vs Companies'

Business’s vs Businesses’ vs Businesses – Which One Is Correct?

The quick answer: The word business is the plural form of the word businesses. Business’s is the possessive form of the word business. It shows ownership. Businesses’ also is in the possessive form, but the difference is that it refers to something that more than one business possesses.

When spoken these words sound similar. For that reason, they are oftentimes easily confused. However, by taking a look at some examples, we will learn how to use them correctly.

When to use the word businesses?

The word business is the plural form of the word businesses. In other words, if you are referring to more than one business, you would want to use this word.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

  1. Recently, many new businesses have opened up in my town.
  2. Many new businesses are in need of a website to display their work.
  3. He has started 5 different businesses in 10 years.

When NOT to use the word businesses?

  1. After reviewing the businesses finances, he was surprised by how much money the company paid for advertising. (The correct word for this sentence is “business’s” because it is the possessive form of the word. The finances are something the company owns)

When to use the word business’s or business’?

Business’s is the possessive form of the word business. It shows ownership. You should only use this word when you want to refer to something that belongs to that business.

Should I use business’s or business’?

That is a personal preference. Many people will drop the ‘s’ after the apostrophe when a noun ends with an ‘s’. For example, “Wes’ car”. With that being said, Englishbyday recommends using “business’s”.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

  1. After reviewing the business’s finances, he was surprised by how much money the company paid for advertising.
  2. He was not happy to learn that Tom was using the business’s property for personal use.
  3. I like the business’s new location.

When NOT to use the word business’s?

  1. The business’s on this list have some of the best training programs. (You do not need the possessive form of this word because there is nothing that belongs to that particular company. The word here is used to refer to more than one company so you would want to use the word in the plural form.)

When to use the word businesses’?

This word also is in the possessive form, but the difference is that it refers to something that more than one business possesses.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

  1. The businesses’ stocks dropped unexpectedly.
  2. It was easy for Bill to invest in multiple companies because he loves all of the businesses’ products.
  3. The businesses’ recent earnings report will help investors plan for the future.
  4. Those two businesses’ environmental achievements have become an example for many smaller companies.

There you have it! The differences between Business’s vs Businesses’ vs Businesses. Do you still have a question about when to use these terms? If so, please let us know in the comment section below.