3.1 What is Business? Flashcards
What is a business?
An organisation to provide goods and services on a commercial basis to customers
What is a business objective?
A short term goal in order to meet the businesses aims and missions
What is profit?
The money left over after all costs are taken away from all the money that’s come into the company
What are the benefits of businesses?
- Employment
- Drives innovation
- New products
- Pay taxes on profits
- Creates wealth providing returns on investment
What is meant by growth?
a stage where the business reaches the point for expansion and seeks additional options to generate more profit
What is meant by survival?
Keeping the business operating for a certain amount of time
What is meant by cash flow?
The movement of cash into and out of a business
What is a social objective?
Objectives that relate to the interaction of individuals, groups and institutions within society
What is meant by ethical objectives?
Objectives that could have an impact on morals and principles.
What is a mission statement?
The over-riding goal of the business and the reason for its existence
What is the difference between an objective and a mission?
Objectives are small tasks that work towards the overall mission of the business
Why do businesses set objectives?
- Motivation
- Organisation
- Provide a target
- Provide a clear focus for decision making
What is the calculation for profit?
Profit = Revenue - Total costs
What is the calculation for Revenue?
Revenue = Number of Sales x Selling Price
What is the calculation for fixed costs?
Fixed costs = Total costs - (Variable costs x Units produced)
What are fixed costs?
Costs that are the same each month regardless of how much stock is produced or sold
What is the calculation for Variable costs?
Variable cost = (Direct labour costs + Direct raw material cost + Variable manufacturing overhead) / Number of units produced
What are variable costs?
Costs that change each month depending on how much of the product is produced and sold
What is the calculation for total costs?
Total costs = Total fixed costs + Total variable costs
What are total costs?
The sum of expenses a company needs to manufacture a specific level of output
What is the reason for revenue?
Helps businesses to measure profits with a specific period of time
What is the reason for variable costs?
To see how much expenses change based on how much a company sells or produces
What is the reason for total costs?
Helps product managers to evaluate their overall profit margin
What is meant by demand?
The amount of product that customers are prepared to buy (measured in volume or value)
What is meant by revenues?
The amount of a product that customers actually buy from a firm
What are the two ways to increase revenue?
Increase quantity sold
Achieve higher selling prices
(Or both)
What are semi-fixed costs?
Costs which change once a certain level of output is reached (administrative salaries, rent)
Why are costs important?
- Thing that drains away the profits
- Determines a good or bad profit margin
- Main cause of cash flow problems
- Change as output or activity change
Why is profit important to a business?
- Return on Investment
- Reward for taking risks
- Key source of finance
- Measure of the businesses success
- Motivating factor or incentive
What is a sole trader?
A business which is owned and run by one person
What are some examples of sole traders?
Plumbers, Electricians