Business opportunities represent an imbalance between the way demand is generated and the way it is satisfied, in terms of time, place, cost, quantity, and target. After the old business opportunity disappears, a new business opportunity will appear. Without business opportunities, there would be no trading activity.

Business opportunities are categorized as shortage opportunities, scarcity opportunities, time opportunities, price and cost opportunities, convenience opportunities, universal demand opportunities, value discovery opportunities, intermediary opportunities, basic opportunities, strategic opportunities, correlation opportunities, systemic opportunities, cultural and customary opportunities, return opportunities, and catastrophic opportunities.