Different industries have their own specific features arising from the nature of production, applied engineering and technology skills. At the same time, they all have some common signs that allow to classify them in several areas: ownership, organizational forms, industry sector, size, degree of specialization, type of production, level of mechanization and automation. Depending on the ownership of the enterprise are private, community and government. Varieties of state ownership may be federal (in federal states) Republican and municipal. On the organizational forms of enterprises are divided into economic partnerships (full or limited), society (corporations, limited liability company, with additional Liability), producer cooperatives, the unitary enterprise. Participants of partnerships (both full and limited) are engaged in productive activity on behalf of the partnership and are liable for the obligations of their property. In addition, limited partnerships have uchastnikovvkladchikov (limited partners), which bear the risk of losses within the amounts of their contributions and not participate in business associations. In joint-stock company's charter capital, formed entirely by contributions from members (shareholders) is divided into a certain number of shares.

Participants in the joint stock company is not liable for its obligations and bear the losses to the value of their shares. Joint Stock Company is one and only owner of all property owned. Stock ownership is a form of collective (or joint) property. Shareholders have the right to demand payment of mandatory dividends. Joint Stock Company is open, when its members can sell their shares without the consent of other shareholders, and closed when its members have a preferential right to purchase the shares sold by other participants in this society.