The most obvious difference between a corporation and other business structures is the ability of corporations to raise large sums of money by selling stock shares to investors. Instead of being centered on a single person or a small group, ownership of an incorporated business is spread out among stockholders, who have the right to vote on key business decisions.
Corporations are listed on stock exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and anyone can access a wide range of financial and operational data about each company.