The paper suggests establishing a separate branch of Applied Linguistics – Business Linguistics, a multidisciplinary synergic field for researching the use of language and communication in business. The author begins the exploration of Business Linguistics, defining its sources, key areas and practical purposes. In this way, the definition and functional typology of business discourse are designed by the author. The discursive approach adopted is intended to provide the basis for investigating this promising field.Key words: linguistics, business discourse, business communication.