2.1 Flashcards
What is internal growth/ organic growth
When a business grows by expanding its own activities
Why is internal growth growth good
It’s relatively inexpensive. Also it generally means the firm expands by doing more of what it’s already good at- making its existing products. So it’s less likely to go wrong
What are the two methods of organic growth
- Targeting new markets
- Developing new products
What is meant by “targeting new markets”
When a business aims to sell its product to people who it hasn’t tried to sell to before
What is meant by “developing new products”
Selling a brand new product will increase sales for a business, allowing it to grow
True or false
External growth is faster but more risky then internal growth
True
What does external growth involve
Usually involves a merger or takeover
What is a merger
When two firms join together to form a new (but larger) firm
What is a takeover
When an existing firm expands by buying more than half the shares in another firm
What are the four basic ways a firm can merge with or take over other firms
- Join with a supplier
- Join with a competitor
- Join with a customer
- Join with an unrelated firm
True/ false
More than half of all takeovers and mergers are successful
False
What happens to a firm’s output when the firm expands
It increases
What happens to costs when a firm expands
It increases
What are the three reasons economies of scale can happen for different reasons
- Larger firms need more supplies than smaller firms, so will buy supplies in bulk. This normally means they can get them at a cheaper unit price than a small firm
- Larger firms can afford to buy and operate more advanced machinery than smaller firms which may make processes faster or cheaper to run
- The law of increased dimensions means that, for example, a factory that’s ten times as big will be less than ten times as expensive
What is meant by ‘diseconomies of scale’
When an increase in output leads to lower average costs ( buying stuff in bulk)
What are examples of ‘diseconomies of scale’
- The bigger the firm, the harder and more expensive it is to manage it properly
- Bigger firms have more people o it can be harder to communicate within the company. Decisions take time to reach the whole workforce, and workers at the bottom of the organisational structure feel insignificant. Workers can get demotivated, which may cause productivity to go down
- The production process may become more complex and more difficult to coordinate. For example, different departments may end up working on very similar projects without knowing
Can Public Limited Companies can sell shares on a Stock Market
Yes
What are advantages of being a PLC
- Much more capital can be raised by a PLC than by any other kind of business
- That helps the company to expand and diversify
- PLCs are incorporates and have limited liability, so if things go wrong, the owners only lose the amount of money they’ve invested
What are disadvantages of being a PLC
- It can be hard to get lots of shareholders to agree on how the business is run. Each shareholder has very little say (unless they own a lot of shares)
- Someone could buy enough shares shares to take over the company - if they can convince shareholders to sell
- The accounts have to be made public - so everyone (including competitors) can see if a business is struggling
- PLCs can have hundreds or even thousands of shareholders, so there are lots of people wanting a share of the profits
What does globalisation mean
The world is more interconnected
What is the impact of globalisation on imports
Firms have a larger market to buy from, so they may be able to buy supplies more cheaply, which reduces costs and can increase profits. However, more important means there’s more competition in a country. Firms may be forced to reduce their prices to stay competitive.
What is the impact of globalisation on exports
Being able to export goods easily means firms have a larger market to sell to. This can lead to an increased sales and higher profits
What is the impact of globalisation on business location
Globalisation has made it easier for businesses to locate parts of their business abroad. This may allow them to reduce so they can make profit
What is the impact of globalisation on multinationals
Single business operating in more than one country are known as multinationals. When a big multinational business enters a new country, firms already in that country may need to change the way they operate in order to compete successfully
What are tariffs
These are taxes on goods that are being imported or exported. They make products imported into a country more expensive than those that are produced in the home country. This helps domestic firms stay competitive
What are trade blocs
These are groups of countries that have few or no trade barriers between them
What are examples of ways that a business might become more sustainable
- Use less packaging and recycling more
- Dispose of hazardous waste carefully
- Use more efficient machinery
- Use more renewable energy resources, and electrical goods that are more energy efficient
What are pros of a business being environmentally friendly
- People will want to buy the products more
- Competitive advantage
What are cons of a business being environmentally friendly
Expensive
What is organic growth
When a business grows by expanding its own activities
Explain how a business can use new markets to expand
- When a business aims to sell its products to people who it hasn’t tried to before
- Firm can use new technology to target new markets
- A firm could also set up branches in other countries so they can sell directly in markets abroad
- They could also change the marketing mix of the product so that it appeals to a new market
Explain how innovation can help a business to expand
This is when someone comes up with a new product or way of doing things. Often, innovation comes about as a result of research and development
Describe the difference between takeovers and mergers
A merger involves the mutual decision of two companies to combine and become one entity; it can be seen as a decision made by two “equals.” A takeover, or acquisition, is usually the purchase of a smaller company by a larger one.
EXPLAIN how MANY takeovers and mergers are successful
- Less than of all takeovers and mergers are successful. It’s very hard o make two different businesses work as one. Management styles often differ between firms - the employees of one firm may be used to one company culture and not be motivated by the style used in one another
What are economies of scale
A proportionate saving in costs gained by an increased level of production.
“mergers may lead to economies of scale”
Give two examples of external sources of finance that may be available to an established business
- Loan capital
- Share capital
Explain why becoming a public limited company allows a firm to raise a lot of money
the company can be listed on the Stock Exchange. This allows the company to raise capital by selling shares to the public. It also enables existing shareholders to buy and sell shares easily.