Entrepreneurship and Small Business (ESB) Certification 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The correct stage of the business life cycle in which Bill finds himself is the existence stage. At this point, the business has moved beyond the initial idea phase and has begun to operate, which is evidenced by Bill completing work for his first client. This stage is critical as it indicates that the business has started to engage with customers, which is essential for survival and growth.

In the existence stage, the primary focus is on establishing the business and generating initial revenues. The challenges faced include securing clients, managing resources effectively, and ensuring that operations run smoothly. For Bill, completing work for his first client is a significant milestone that indicates he is starting to build a customer base, which is essential for moving forward in the business life cycle.

Other stages, such as survival, would imply that the business is facing challenges related to maintaining positive cash flow and sustaining operations after gaining some initial traction. Take-off represents a later phase where a business experiences rapid growth after successfully establishing itself. Success denotes a mature phase where the business is not only stable but thriving, often with a significant market presence and established systems. Therefore, Bill is accurately placed within the existence stage, as he is still in the early phases of operational engagement.