At midnight on October 1, 2013, the federal government directed its agencies to execute plans for an orderly shutdown. What does this mean for the American people and businesses as the government continues to remain shutdown until the House and Senate can reach an agreement on how to continue funding the government?

Most essential services provided by the government will continue The lack of funding however, will see many others closing its doors and causing minor headaches for some Americans, and serious concerns for others.

In regards to federal workers, the government shutdown results in a delay in their paychecks and the possible furlough of thousands. This of course affects the budgets of these individuals. Some of those that will be furloughed include; workers in the Congressional Budget Office, Environmental Protection Agency and Futures Trading Commission, among others.

There does not appear to be too much change in the operations regarding air travel, federal courts, U.S. mail, and prisons. On Monday before the shutdown, the president signed legislation that would ensure that all of the military’s 1.4 million active duty personnel would continue to be paid.

Other services which help those most seriously in need will see a significant change in their ability to provide these services. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC could shut down, denying benefits to millions of women, infants and children. In addition, new social security benefit applications could be delayed.

The closing of national parks as well as the possibility of visas going unprocessed could see a significant decrease in tourism revenue for businesses. Those who are waiting for approval for government backed mortgages will face delays during the shutdown, impacting the real estate market.

To read more about the government shutdown, please visit USNews.nbcnews.com.