This article is about a term used in economics. For other uses, see service (disambiguation).

In economics and marketing, a service is the non-material equivalent of a good. Service provision has been defined as an economic activity that does not result in ownership, and this is what differentiates it from providing physical goods. It is claimed to be a process that creates benefits by facilitating either a change in customers, a change in their physical possessions, or a change in their intangible assets.

By supplying some level of skill, ingenuity, and experience, providers of a service participate in an economy without the restrictions of carrying stock (inventory) or the need to concern themselves with bulky raw materials. On the other hand, their investment in expertise does require marketing and upgrading in the face of competition which has equally few physical restrictions.

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GreenvilleOnline.com -

Cascades at Verdae development opens
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:37:00 -0400
When Donna Henderson moves into her apartment at The Cascades at Verdae, she won't have to leave the building to buy groceries, go to a bank, or go to a movie theater.
High-tech companies growing here
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:40:00 -0400
In a cavernous building in Simpsonville, entrepreneur Brian Morin and his team are installing $2 million worth of manufacturing machinery.
South bucks auto bailout
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:36:00 -0400
South Carolina's U.S. senators have joined the Bush administration and lawmakers from states along the Southern auto belt -- comprising mainly European and Asian manufacturers -- in opposing in a financial bailout for Detroit's Big Three car companies.
Gas prices again dip
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:34:00 -0400
The average price of gasoline in the Upstate dropped a little more than a penny a gallon overnight, according to AAA.
Simpsonville to hold public meeting on development
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:35:00 -0400
Simpsonville will kick off its comprehensive planning process with a public meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 20 at City Hall, 118 N.E. Main St.
Final meeting tonight to discuss Greer's recreational master plan
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:37:00 -0400
Greer residents have a chance to tell city recreation officials what they want included in the city's recreational master plan in tonight's third and final public forum meeting at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 301 E. Poinsett St.

MyrtleBeachOnline.com: Local

Landfill may get taller
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:41:00 -0500
The Horry County Solid Waste Authority wants to build a new landfill partly on top of existing ones, which could result in a mountain of trash 240 feet high on S.C. 90 near Conway.The authority says it's the best way to handle the county's trash for the next 20 years, and trash experts say such piggyback expansions are not environmentally dangerous if done right.The authority, which disposes of most of the county's garbage, asked the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control in August to determine whether there is a need for such an expansion, the first step in obtaining a permit.
Target to slash prices
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:35:00 -0500
Target Corp. said Monday it will aggressively cut prices to give consumers bargains during the holiday season, after weak sales of its apparel and home offerings led third-quarter earnings to fall 24 percent.The discount retailer also said sales in established stores have been weak so far in November, and if that persists, it expects fourth-quarter earnings below analyst expectations."The increasing financial challenges and economic uncertainties facing American households continued to pressure our performance during the third quarter," Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel said during a conference call with analysts.
Fires kill Pawleys man, destroy homes
Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:15:00 -0500
An 84-year-old man died and his wife remained hospitalized Monday as a result of a fire the same day at their Pawleys Island home.Theodore Irwin, 84, died of smoke inhalation, Georgetown County Coroner Kenny Johnson said.Irwin was pronounced dead at 1:44 a.m. at Waccamaw Community Hospital.

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