Final answer:
During the Industrial Revolution, businesses focused on technology-driven expansion and efficiency in production, transforming manual labor into mechanized factory work and seeking control over entire production cycles to create monopolies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The focus of business from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution until the early 20th century was on the rapid growth and expansion of industries through technological innovations and the centralization of production in factories. The transition from manual labor to machinery drastically increased efficiency and productivity.
Innovations such as the Spinning Jenny and Spinning Mule in the textile industry, and the use of coke for smelting in iron production, significantly lowered costs and increased production rates. The advent of the steam engine by James Watt revolutionized transportation and overall production of goods.
During this period, capitalists and corporations sought to expand their control over the entire production cycle, often creating monopolies and driving competition out.