Which of the following is NOT a characteristic activity of businesses?

The characteristic activities of businesses typically include raising capital, utilizing those funds to acquire assets essential for operation, and creating goods or services that fulfill market demand. Ensuring government compliance, while important for regulatory reasons, is more of a compliance function rather than a core business activity.

Businesses fundamentally focus on financial aspects such as acquiring funds from investors or lenders, employing those resources to invest in tangible or intangible assets (like equipment or technology), and developing products or services intended for sale. While compliance measures are necessary for legal and operational integrity, they do not directly contribute to a company's primary objectives of revenue generation and service provision. Therefore, ensuring government compliance is not classified as a primary activity that characterizes what businesses do fundamentally.