business unit 2 exam Flashcards
current ration
- gives an idea whether the business would be able to repay its liabilities with its assets
- current assets/current liabilities
- ideal is 1,5 to 2
acid test ration
- current assets-inventory/current liabilities
- if its low, the business may be too reliant on its inventory
- ideal 1
However, liquidity
- acid test and current ratio only provide a rough estimate of the businesses financial health
- some businesses are still healthy even if they have low liquidity rations
- its always useful to compare with other businesses to have a better understanding
- having rations above 1 could mean cash is not being used which could upset shareholders who would prefer it paid out to them or re invested.
- could be better to compare these rations with those from previous years in order to know if the business is in better or worse position.
liquidity definition
- it shows how quickly a business can access cash in order to meet its short term debts.
ways to improve liquidity
- sale of assets, increase current assets by an injection of cash
- asking for a longer time to pay, delaying cash going out of the business
- only ordering stock when its needed,
- factoring, selling their debts which creates an instant injection of cash
- removing the option of credit, instant cash
working capital
the amount of money needed to pay for the day to day trading of a business, or current assets/liabilities.
productivity definition
is a measure of output of a person, machine or process over a period of time
ways to improve productivity
as the business becomes more productive average costs are lowered and profit increases
- education/training
- motivating workers
- introducing new machinery or technology
ways to improve productivity
as the business becomes more productive average costs are lowered and profit increases
1. labour - increased specilisation, motivation/education, training, flexibility
2. capital - increase service, maintance of machinery, replace and update of technology
benefits of productivity
- new production line may produce more items with fewer workers, fewer workers per day would increase amount produced per worker
- new production line may produce more items per day, more output per day would increase the amount produced per machine.
- new production line may not break as often, increased output every day.
potential drawbacks productivity
- high start up costs
- existing staff may fear being replaced by machines,
- machines can break
- education and training may be expensive if business pays them also time consuming
sales forecast definition
- an estimate of the value or volume of future sales for a business, based on market research/past data for a period of time.
benefit of sales forecast
- finances can be managed, it gives idea of what cash inflows might be.
- meet production needs, to plan orders of supplies and ensure that they have the capacity to meet the predicted orders. (may need to buy equipment or rent)
- correct staffing levels for the predicted level of demand or new project they are about to do
-many sales forecasts are based on historical sales data which can be useful to identify trends and patterns.
factors affecting sales forecast
- consumer trends (seasonal, fashion, long term)
habits or behaviour of those involved in the use of goods and services - economic variables (income. inflation, employment)
- actions of competitors.
drawbacks of sales forecast
- they are based on assumptions and estimates about future market conditions and consumer behaviour (limited accuracy)
- relying on past data can be problematic as consumer behaviour changes and now the data might be inaccurate
- lack of flexibility - if actual sales are different from predicted sales, it can be difficult for businesses to adjust there decisions quickly.
sales volume definition
the number of units sold by a business
sales revenue/sales price
ways to improve sales volume
- reducing the price (however it may affect the revenue of the business negatively)
- advertising (however depends on the market, if its a big one, ads might not help)
- improved targeting
- extend product range
- promotion
revenue definition
- total income earned by a business from the sales of its products
price x quantity sold (sales volume)
ways to improve sales revenue
- changing price higher/lower
- adding additional services or products ( shoe retailer selling shoe products)
- increase the sales volume
loan definition
a sum of money issued to a business owner exclusively for use in their business and is repaid with interest over an agreed term.
loan benefits
- more easily available to large businesses at a lower interest rate because they might seem less risky than a small business.
- provides access to a large amount of funds that can be used to finance variety of needs.
- ## some loans such as mortgages, offer tax benefits that can reduce the amount of taxes owed each year.
loan drawbacks
- process of obtaining finance via loan may take a long time, and delay introduction of a certain product on to the market.
- you have to pay it back with interest rates which increases the total cost of borrowing
- some banks may not give out the loan if the business is new and small
- limited flexibility, once the loan is taken out the repayment terms are fixed, borrowers are not able to delay the payment or change conditions on it.
leasing definition
leasing is when the business pays to use assets owned by a lessor.
leasing benefits
- quicker access to equipment needed to expand and develop products without having to raise additional finance
- access to a higher standard equipment maybe possible through the use of leasing than the businesses may otherwise have been able to pay for.
leasing drawbacks
- expensive as payments are being made without actually owning the equipment
- leasing agreements often come with restrictions on how the leased asset can be used.
- in short term leasing is cheaper but on the long term leasing can be more expensive then buying the machine.
venture capital definition
a source of finance to fund a business where the risk is greater for the investor
business plan definition
a document for the develoopment of a business giving details such as the product, resources and costs.
business plan benefits
- gain finance, bank is more likely to lend you the money if u have business plan and they can see your overall state of finance
- potential problems can be found and resolved by producing a business plan and it helps business be successful.
- reduces the risk of fail because it forces the owner to consider all the factors that could cause business to fail.
business plan drawbacks
- time consuming to make one, it can delay the product being introduced to the market.
- not all sources of finance require a business plan therefore business can try and find other ways to raise the money
- business plan is subject to external influences which might make the predictions invalid.
limited liability definition
means that the owners of the business are only liable for the money they have invested in the business
limited liability benefits
- owners are able to make more risks as they dont have to worry about losing their personal possessions if venture failed.
- personal assets are protected so owners may feel less stressed and pressured
limited liability drawbacks
- banks may be less likely to lend money as there is a risk that the debt will not be met
- time consuming, as there are legal requirments that has to be met, setting up more complicated then sole trader or partnership
- not being able to repay debts to creditors
unlimited liability definition
- businesses where there are no legal difference between the owners and the business.
unlimited liability benefits
- may find it easier to borrow money as the lender will be repaid.
- easy process to set up
- owners may be more cautious when it comes to running up debt, which can help them manage cash and debts better in the future.
unlimited liabilities drawbacks
- have to pay debts from personal resources, they are willing to take less risk
- they might be financially liable if business is sued.
efficiency definition
- making the best possible use of all the businesses resources by minimizing average costs.
ways to improve efficiency
- investing in new technology, flow production therefore increased output
- relocating the business where rent is reduced and therefore costs are lowered
- downsizing, reduced capacity of the business, closing down not profitable parts of business therefore costs are decreased
- lean production, cutting out waste, kaizen, JIT, lower costs and higher output.
capital intensive production definition
- those that require a relatively high level of capital investment/cost compared to labour
capital intensive production benefits
- more cost effective if larger quantities are produced
- machinery more precise and reliable and can operate 24/7
- machinery is easier to manage than people
capital intensive production drawbacks
- huge set up costs
- huge delays and costs if machinery breaks down
- often causes a threat to the workforce and could reduce motivation
labour intensive production definition
- would involve production to be carried out by more labour compared to capital
labour intensive production benefits
- more flexible, can be retrained
- cheaper for small scale production but for the large scale one as well (China and India)
- people are creative, can solve problems and make improvements
labour intensive production drawbacks
- people are more difficult to manage
- unreliable because people can get sick and leave
- people need to be motivated, they cannot work without breaks and holidays.
lead in times definition
- length of time between the start of the product concept/design and its launch into the market
lead in times benefits
- if firms manage to reduce time it takes to develop and launch new product, increase productivity, they may gain competitive advantage
- brand recognisition, lasting impression
- premium prices, brand loyalty
lead in times drawbacks
- copy cats, take ideas from first movers
- they learn from mistakes of the first movers and create better versions
- first movers can launch too soon, just to be the first one on the market, while the product is not ready.
profit definiton
the extra remaining after total costs are deducted from the revenue
gross profit and GPM
gross profit: total revenue - cost of sales (v.costs)
GPM: gross profit/revenue x 100%
higher - better, increase in price - increase in GPM, variable costs decrease - increase in GPM
- may depend on industry to industry
operating profit and OPM
operating profit: gross profit - fixed costs or revenue - total costs
OPM: operating profit/revenue x 100%
higher - better, fixed costs decreased - increase in OPM
profit of the year or net profit (margin)
profit of the year: operating profit - finance cost (interest)
net profit margin: net profit/revenue x 100%
higher - better, shows how much profit is made per 1$ for the year.
ways to increase profit
- increase revenue
- increase price
- invest into ads to create more awarness
- attract customers and increase sales volume - cutting costs
- purchasing material from cheaper supplier (v.costs, increase in GPM)
- reducing fixed costs, moving in order to pay cheaper rent (increase in OPM)
profitability definition
Profitability is the degree to which a business makes a profit from its activities.
GPM/OPM/net profit / revenue x 100%
ways to improve profitability
- increasing prices will allow more revenue for every unit sold, assuming costs are staying the same, therefore profitability will increase.
- decreasing costs and keeping the price same would increase profitability
profitability drawbacks
- it may depend on price elasticity of demand (PED) whether a
price increase would bring in more revenue from diners or reduce the number of customers. - if cutting down costs by changing to the cheaper supplier, the product quality may be reduced which can lead to less customers and sales which affects profitability negatively.
inventory control definition
the optimum quantity of goods a business holds for the purpose of resale or production.
inventory definition
the raw materials or work in progress held by the business
inventory control diagram definitino
shows details of inventory movements such as minimum and maximum inventory levels, re order levels and quantity lead times.
inventory control diagram benefits
- it can show minimum inventory level, (usually more then 0) therefore they know they will never ran out of their product.
- it shows how many items to re-order in order to be able to meet customers demand for the next (duration of time they get new products)
lead time definition
amount of time between placing the order and receiving the stock
re order quantity definition
the amount of stock that is ordered each time
buffer inventory definition
an amount of stock held as an emergency in case of unexpected orders so that such orders can be met
buffer inventory benefits
- able to keep up with demand,, which could lead to higher brand image
- problems in supply chain, for example delieveries of stock being delayed, the firm will still be able to manufacture
- larger orders of stock will have to be place, therefore increased benefits of buying in bulk
buffer inventory drawbacks
- higher storage costs and fixed costs
- if business is operating in dynamic market there are higher chances of being left with out dated goods which can quickly go out of fashion.
poor inventory control
- holding too much inventory
- unsold inventory with which is cash tied up
- storage costs, opportunity cost - holding too little inventory
- not being able to meet high or increased demand
- missed sales opportunities
- if delayed the production has to stop as there is no product in inventory
just in time definition
a manufacturing system where materials are delievered just before they are needed in order to minimise costs. (no buffer stocks)
JIT benefits
- reduces the need for storage of larger amounts of inventory, therefore fixed costs are reduces and profitability increased or the space can be used for other things
- less chance the stock would go out of date (expired)
JIT drawbacks
- loss of economies of scale as smaller quanitities are purchased, therefore average costs can increase and profit margins may fall.
- difficult to deal with high demand, if not able to brand image might fall and the business may lose loyal customers.
waste minimisation definition
producing goods/services at given quality using as few resources as possible
- performance of the goods may exceed customers expectations therefore the business will get higher bran image and customers are not going to switch to other competitors which also gives the business competitive advantage
lean production definition
approach of management that focuses on cutting out waste, while ensuring quality.
- reduce waste which helps reduce costs which could mean lower prices to attract customers OR more profit to invest into the business as profit margins are getting higher
- but also it could help with the business image. if they reduce waste they can be seen as more ethical and gain competitive advantage
competitive advantage definition
conditions that puts a company in a superior position against its competitors.
cash flow definition
money that is moving in and out of a business
cash flow forecasting definition
it is a prediction of the cash moving in and out of a business over a period of time.
cash flow forecast benefits
- helps to identify the timing of cash shortages, and arrange for the overdraft if needed or delay payments.
- supporting applications for finance if needed external sources, for example a bank loan
- allows a business to compare their forecast to what actually happened, if there is any difference the business can try to improve there so the forecast is better in the future.
- use to help identify times when the business has a lot of cash
cash flow forecast drawbacks
- data may be based on estimations so may not be accurate, as those usually make managers so it can be subjective.
- external factors may affect the forecast, unpredictable
ways to improve cash flow
- more cash in
- reduce customers credit terms
- increase sales to gain more demand or increase price to gain more cash in (does depend on PED) - less cash out
- rent reduction, change of location
- cheaper materials
- trade credit