A stakeholder is anyone with an interest in a business

STAKEHOLDERS are individuals, groups or organisations that are affected by the activity of the business. They include:

• Owners who are interested in how much profit the business makes.
• Managers who are concerned about their salary.
• Workers who want to earn high wages and keep their jobs.
• Customers who want the business to produce quality products at reasonable prices.
• Suppliers who want the business to continue to buy their products.
• Lenders who want to be repaid on time and in full.
• The community which has a stake in the business as employers of local people. Business activity also affects the local environment. For example, noisy night-time deliveries or a smelly factory would be unpopular with local residents.

INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS are groups within a business - eg owners and workers.
EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS are groups outside a business - eg the community.