PX- Chapter 33: Business Practices Flashcards
Name the ways a design firm can be structured
Sole Proprietorship partnership corporation Limited Liability Company Limited Liability Partnerships Joint Ventures
what is a sole proprietorship and what are the pros and cons
owned by one person
pro- easy to set up, some tax advantages
con- the owner is personally liable for all debts and losses
company doesn’t exist if the owner quits or dies
Difficult to raise capital
which is the simplest kind of business structure
sole proprietorship
what is a general partnership business structure. pros and cons
two ore more people share in management, profits and risks of a business
pro- easy to form, also good to have more than one person in charge with different talents
con- all the partners are liable for the actions of the others. each partner is responsible for claims against their personal assets.
Incoe is taxed at individual rates
Also bad cause one person might want to leave then you’re hooped
what is a limited partnership business structure. pros and cons
one or more general partners and other limited partners. the limited people are just investors that receive a portion of the profit and don’t do anything with the company. their personal assets are not on the line, only their investment amount.
what is a corporation business structure? what are the pros and cons
associate of individuals where the company is independent from its members- separate legal entity so that if the corporation is sued, the personal assets of the stockholders are not at risk. but their investment is.
pro- no personal risk, lower taxes generally, can continue if the principle changes or the board members change.
con- initial setup costs and the paperwork to maintain the business
what is a limited liability company and LL partnership
hybrid business organizations that combine the advantages of the corporation and partnership
pro- liability is limited to a member’s investment- no personal liability. Also taxed like partnerships OR corporations- only one level of tax unlike the corporations. Generally easier to set up and operate than corporations
what is a joint venture
temporary associate or two or more ppl or firms to complete a project.
used when a design firm doesn’t have the experience needed to complete a project so it hooks up with another firm
treated like a partnership
name and describe two types of office organization within a design firm
departmental- project moves from one department to the other. good cause efficient but bad for communication and doesn’t let employees grow and learn
studio- various smaller groups that sees the whole project through. good to share ideas, everyone can learn.
what types of insurance should an interior designer get
professional liability and general liability, property, personal injury protection and workers comp
what is professional liability insurance
protects the designer in case something the designer did causes injury or property damage- aka malpractice or errors and omissions. problems from things like wrong specs or drawings
what is general liability insurance
basically general insurance - protect against claims of property damage, liability and personal injury cause by the designer or employees or anyone hired by the designer (like a consultant). Product liability
Product Liability
Provides protection in case a product completed by ID does injury
what is personal injury protection insurance
protects the designer against charges of slander, libel, defamation of character etc.
what kind of insurance should the contractor have
workers comp, claims for injury/sickness/death
personal injury including slander etc
insurance for any portion of the work that is stored off the job site
what are current assets vs just assets
current assets- resources of a business that are converted into cash within one year
assets- tangible or intangible resource that can be measured in monetary terms- current assets is branched under this
what is direct labour
labour of all staff that can be directly charged to the client/project
what is discretionary distribution
distribution of profits to owners and non owners- like bonuses
what is fixed asset
resources that are used by the business and are long term like equipment and property
what is indirect labour
all labour not charged to a project like admin time
what are liabilites
claims made by people outside the business OR by the owners of the business against the total assets of the business
what is overhead
expenses to keep the business operating regarless of if there is profict- like rent, power, internet etc