Sources Of Finance: Internal And External Flashcards
What are internal sources of finance?
Money generated by the business or the current owners
What are external sources of finance?
Funded from outside the business
Examples of internal sources of finance
- Owners capital
- Retained profit
- Sale of assets
- Improved use of working capital
Examples of external sources of finance
- Family and friends
- Banks (loans and overdrafts)
- Peer to peer funding
- Grants
- Crowd funding
- Venture capital
Owners capital
- Most small businesses are set up with the owners savings
- They are ‘interest free’ but will be lost if business fails
- Banks will not provide a loan or overdraft unless the owners are sharing the financial risk
Retained profits
- Profits are the most important source of long term finance
- This form of finance is good because there are no interest payments to be made
- Less dividend to shareholders
Sale of assets
- Selling the assets of the business
- Interest free
- Can’t has the assets again
- Assets can depreciate
- May not sell for a lot
Improved use to working capital
- Changing the use of capital to a more appropriate use
- No interest
- May not have enough to meet requirements
- May affect quality
Family and friends
- When loans or gifts are given by people known to the owners
- Gifts do not have to be repaid which reduces the costs of the business
- Loans can usually be flexible, with low/ no interest
- Can cause friction with family if something goes wrong
Banks: loans
- Loans are when someone borrows a set amount from the bank with a fixed repayment term and interest
- Large amounts can be borrowed
- Repayments are predictable
- Interest must be paid where the business is profitable or not
Banks: overdrafts
- Overdrafts are when a business ore arranged with the bank that it can spend more than it has in its account
- Flexible and only used when needed
- Interest payments are usually very high making: very expensive
Peer to peer funding
- When other business owners or individuals lend money in return for interest
- Can raise between £5,000-£50,000 with repayment terms from 6 months- 5 years
- Quick access to finance
- Not suitable for very large amount and pay back terms can be fairly short
Grants
- Amounts of finance given to business, often in areas of high unemployment
- Does not have to be paid back or interest
- Often not available, and only usually relatively small amounts
Crowd funding
- When lots of individuals five small amounts to businesses who are worth while
- Flexible about how “funders” are rewarded e.g discounts, free goods or
equity - Risky projects can attract funding
- You may not raise as much as you need
Venture capital
- When an organisation provides finance in return for equity
- Large amounts can be raised for projects that are too risky for banks
- Venture capitalists can provide advice, expertise and contacts
- The business loses equity a share of profits goes to venture capitalists
- They also have a say in running the business which can be difficult for entrepreneurs
What are angel investors?
Investors who back a business before it has opened its doors, taking a full equity risk
- if it fails, the angel investor will lose everything invested
What is collateral?
An asset used as security for a loan, it can be sold by a lender if the borrower fails to pay back a loan
What is crowdfunding?
Obtaining external finance from many individuals, small investments, usually through a web- based appeal
What is seedcorn capital?
The early stage finance that might come from an angel investor
What is share capital?
Business finance that has no guarantee on repayment or of annual income, but gains a share of control of the business and its potential profits
Advantage and disadvantage of retained profit
A: no interest, safe way to get finance
D: less dividends to shareholders
Advantage and disadvantage of sale of assets
A: no interest
D: can’t use assets again, may not sell for a lot
Advantage and disadvantage of crowdfunding
A: many small investors can be gathered in order to provide all the finance necessary
D: may not raise as much as you need
Advantage and disadvantage of a loan
A: large amounts can be borrowed, repayments are predictable
D: interest rates must be paid whether the business is profitable or not