Functions of an office
An office coordinates a business's administrative activities: receiving and sending correspondence, keeping records, processing information, and supporting communication between departments and with outside parties (customers, suppliers, government agencies).
Filing and office equipment
Good filing systems (alphabetical, numerical, or subject-based) let a business retrieve important documents quickly when needed, rather than searching through disorganized paperwork. Common office equipment includes computers, printers, telephones, and photocopiers -- each supporting different parts of the office's information-processing role.
ICT and e-commerce
Modern offices rely heavily on ICT -- computers, the internet, and specialized software -- to process transactions, communicate, and store records far more efficiently than manual paper-based methods. E-commerce (buying and selling over the internet) has grown alongside this, letting businesses reach customers without a physical shop, though it still relies on the traditional aids to trade like transport (to deliver goods) and banking (to process payments).
Example 1: Explain one advantage e-commerce offers a small business compared to relying only on a physical shop.
E-commerce lets a small business reach customers far beyond its immediate physical location, potentially nationally or internationally, without the high cost of opening physical shops in each new area -- significantly widening its potential market at a much lower cost.