A sole trader is the most common form of business ownership and the easiest to set up. It means that the business is owned and run by one person - though the business may employ a large number of people. The owner will normally provide the money to set the business up, but s/he might borrow money from a bank or other financial institution also. The first likely objective of the sole trader will be survival, as many new businesses run out of money in their first few months of trading.