What is it called when you combine two businesses?
James Olson
Updated on February 06, 2026
A merger is an agreement that unites two existing companies into one new company. There are several types of mergers and also several reasons why companies complete mergers. Mergers and acquisitions are commonly done to expand a company’s reach, expand into new segments, or gain market share.
What are the 2 types of businesses?
Review common business structures
- Sole proprietorship. A sole proprietorship is easy to form and gives you complete control of your business.
- Partnership. Partnerships are the simplest structure for two or more people to own a business together.
- Limited liability company (LLC)
- Corporation.
- Cooperative.
What do you call a company with different businesses?
A corporate group or group of companies is a collection of parent and subsidiary corporations that function as a single economic entity through a common source of control. If the corporations are engaged in entirely different businesses, the group is called a conglomerate.
Can a company have more than one business?
Another way companies can run multiple businesses at once is if they’re holding companies. It is common for a larger company to own smaller companies. A holding company however, merely owns stock in the other businesses. The companies which are owned by larger companies also have their own legal trading names.
What are the different types of business types?
There are different types of businesses to choose from when forming a company, each with their own legal differences. Typically, there are four main types of businesses: Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies (LLC), and Corporations.
What’s the best way to structure multiple businesses?
There are 3 ways to structure multiple businesses or business ventures, and each has different advantages and disadvantages. Here’s an overview. Today’s small business owners often earn income through a variety of ventures. For example, a restaurateur may open a wine shop or a caterer may also double as a part-time copy editor.
What does it mean to have multiple business names?
Once that LLC or corporation has been established, it files multiple fictitious business names, also called DBA (doing business as) registrations, for each of the ventures within the same state/county.