Final answer:
Firms known as intermediaries provide specialized marketing functions, such as facilitating loans or handling installment contracts, without directly buying or selling goods themselves (a).
Step-by-step explanation:
Firms that specialize in providing marketing functions other than buying or selling are known as intermediaries. These entities typically facilitate various aspects of the commerce process without directly engaging in the exchange of goods themselves. For example, finance companies provide loans and manage installment contracts, freeing businesses from carrying loans themselves.
They are different from entities that operate in the firms in the goods market, which directly sell products to consumers or other businesses, or the firms in the financial market, which typically deal with investments and securities. Intermediaries help to maintain the flow of a market by offering services that assist both producers and consumers, supporting activities such as financing, marketing, and distribution.