Types of risk your business faces (2024)

Business risk is a broad category. It applies to any event or circ*mstance that has the potential to prevent you from achieving your business goals or objectives. Business risk can be internal (such as your strategy) or external (such as the global economy).

Different types of risk should be managed and treated differently. You should understand exactly what type of risk you are facing before you consider how to deal with it.

Types of business risks

The main four types of risk are:

These categories of risks are not rigid and some parts of your business may fall into more than one category. The risks attached to data protection, for example, could be considered when reviewing both your operations and your business' compliance.

Other sources of business risk

Other factors can present certain threats to your business, including:

  • environmental risks, such as natural disasters
  • political and economic instability in any foreign markets you export goods to
  • health and safety risks - see health and safety risk assessment
  • commercial risks, including the failure of key suppliers or customers
  • workforce risks, eg maintaining sufficient staff numbers and cover, employee safety and up-to-date skills

See how to evaluate business risks.

Importance of understanding risk

Risk is often posed by an event, a change in circ*mstances or their consequences. A common definition of risk suggests that risk is the effect of uncertainty on achieving or surpassing business objectives. This effect may be positive, negative or a deviation from the expected, for example in forecasts and projections.

Without identifying risks, it is difficult to successfully define your objectives and set out strategies for achieving them. It is best practice to integrate business risk management with your strategy formulation and business planning processes.

Understanding and managing risks allows you to control, and often prevent, the financial, organisational, legal and other ramifications associated with risks.

See more on strategic planning for business growth.

Types of risk your business faces (2024)

FAQs

What are the types of risk in business? ›

What Are the 7 Types of Business Risk?
  • Strategic Risk. If you're like most small businesses, you probably have a business plan and strategy. ...
  • Compliance Risk. ...
  • Financial Risk. ...
  • Operational Risk. ...
  • Reputational Risk. ...
  • Global Risk. ...
  • Competitive Risk.

What are 3 examples of business risks? ›

Uncertainty-based risks
  • damage by fire, flood or other natural disasters.
  • unexpected financial loss due to an economic downturn, or bankruptcy of other businesses that owe you money.
  • loss of important suppliers or customers.
  • decrease in market share because new competitors or products enter the market.
  • court action.
Jan 18, 2024

What are the 4 major risks? ›

Risk can come in various forms and can be categorized into four main categories: financial risk, operational risk, strategic risk, and compliance risk.

What is the biggest risk facing your company? ›

The main four types of risk are:
  • strategic risk - eg a competitor coming on to the market.
  • compliance and regulatory risk - eg introduction of new rules or legislation.
  • financial risk - eg interest rate rise on your business loan or a non-paying customer.
  • operational risk - eg the breakdown or theft of key equipment.

What are the four main areas of risk for your business? ›

The four main types of risk that businesses encounter are strategic, compliance (regulatory), operational, and reputational risk. These risks can be caused by factors that are both external and internal to the company.

What are the 8 types of risk? ›

These risks are: Credit, Interest Rate, Liquidity, Price, Foreign Exchange, Transaction, Compliance, Strategic and Reputation.

What are the three major risks? ›

Widely, risks can be classified into three types: Business Risk, Non-Business Risk, and Financial Risk.

How to identify risk in business? ›

8 Ways to Identify Risks in Your Organization
  1. Break down the big picture. ...
  2. Be pessimistic. ...
  3. Consult an expert. ...
  4. Conduct internal research. ...
  5. Conduct external research. ...
  6. Seek employee feedback regularly. ...
  7. Analyze customer complaints. ...
  8. Use models or software.

What are the three most common types of risk? ›

Here are the 3 basic categories of risk:
  • Business Risk. Business Risk is internal issues that arise in a business. ...
  • Strategic Risk. Strategic Risk is external influences that can impact your business negatively or positively. ...
  • Hazard Risk. Most people's perception of risk is on Hazard Risk.
May 4, 2021

What are the top 5 risk categories? ›

As indicated above, the five types of risk are operational, financial, strategic, compliance, and reputational. Let's take a closer look at each type: Operational. The possibility that things might go wrong as the organization goes about its business.

What are the 3 C's of risk? ›

A connected risk approach aims to connect risk owners to their risks and promote organization-wide risk ownership by using integrated risk management (IRM) technology to enable improved Communication, Context, and Collaboration — remember these as the three C's of connected risk.

What are types of risk in business? ›

13 types of business risks for companies to manage
  • Strategic risk. Strategic risk relates to issues that could affect a company's ability to execute against its strategic objectives and reach its business goals. ...
  • Operational risk. ...
  • Process risk. ...
  • Financial risk. ...
  • Compliance risk. ...
  • Legal risk. ...
  • Macroeconomic risk. ...
  • People risk.
Oct 5, 2023

What is business risk with an example? ›

Business risk arises due to uncertainties. Uncertainty is when it is not known what is going to happen in future. Examples of uncertainties that affect a business are, change in government policy, change in demand, change in technology, etc.

What are the 5 risk based categories? ›

Here are five types of business risk that every company should address as part of their strategy and planning process.
  • Security and fraud risk. ...
  • Compliance risk. ...
  • Operational risk. ...
  • Financial or economic risk. ...
  • Reputational risk.
Jun 16, 2021

What are the three 3 categories of risk? ›

There are three different types of risk:
  • Systematic Risk.
  • Unsystematic Risk.
  • Regulatory Risk.

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