I've wondered this recently. What's the first documented case of an actual business in history? Like how I can own a law firm type thing. I wasn't sure if they had them in roman times, etc.

Thanks.

The first stock ever issued was from the Dutch East India Company, although I don't think that would mean it was the world's first business.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company

There were merchants back to ancient time and the beginning of civilization. I don't know that anything was documented.

Thanks for the help!

Realistically, the first "business" would be right at the very beginning of the concept of private property and the exchange of goods and services. Hereditary shamans or medicine men could be considered "businessmen", I think some would have travelled and peddled their services. There's also been "agribusiness" ever since the Agricultural Revolution millenia ago.

Economics as we understand it resulted from an extremely long-term process with no real beginning or end.

If you want to know when the first businesses with sale-able ownership came about, I couldn't really say.

I've wondered this recently. What's the first documented case of an actual business in history? Like how I can own a law firm type thing. I wasn't sure if they had them in roman times, etc.

Thanks.
Well, lists are made of the oldest extant businesses in the world.

Like this one.
http://www.clipmarks.com/clipmark/3BC395B7-CC3A-47FA-858D-77A6A9A0A241/

That's a good selection, correct about the dates of the firms listred, but probably woefully incomplete.

For instance, the Swedish-Finnish paper and woodpulp multinational corporation STORA should go on that list, by virtue of STORA Kopparberg being the world's oldest limited liability company, official since 1347, but mentioned already in records dating to 1288.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stora

There probably are still older outfits around as well.:)