Unit 2: business overview Flashcards
what does being in tune with the business world aid accounting and financial professional with
- understanding the changes transforming their industry
- anticipate future developments
- capitalize on new opportunities
what is more emphasized for CEOs and CFOs today?
placed on how well you understand business
what are CFOs expected to be the catalyst of?
catalyst for change with a focus on driving innovation and growth
what are the expectations of CFOs?
to help the entire organization focus on activities that align with the companies strategy to drive value.
how is decision making today based on?
the ability of financial leaders to understand trends in the broader business environment and anticipate future change to business models to both act and capitalize on their strategy.
what 3 elements can support new and seasoned CFOs
digital literacy
entrepreneurial mindset
social intelligence
define business
activity that you intend to carry on for profit
why was business activity and the trade of goods + services challenging during canada’s infancy?
- large land mass; complicating travel + transport of goods across the country
- low + spread out population
- lack of infrastructure connecting the country from coast to coast
why was north to south trade with the US initially easier than east to west trade in canada?
many immigrants to Canada originally settled along the border
What national policy did sir john a macdonald develop to support + protect Canadian business activities and promote east to west trade
tariffs - taxes on imported goods - made goods form US more expensive and Canadian goods more affordable and encouraged trade within canada
what was another government decision that improved connectivity across the country and why?
railway as it expanded settlements, facilitated trade, and communications
define a mixed economy in terms of resource allocation?
some allocation of resources are made by the market and some are made by the various levels of government that play an active role in the economy, .
define a crown coroporation
a company owned by the federal or provincial government
why were there crown corporations
to provide services not already offered or available
why have crown corporations gone through privatization?
source of cash for governments to reduce debt and fund other government activities
what is a benefit of privitization
promotes competition which drive innovation which ultimately improves efficiencies and reduces costs for consumers.
define a small business
an organization that is independently owned and operated, is not dominant in its field, and meets certain standard size, typically 1 - 99 employees.
what percentage of the workforce is employed for small business in canada?
70%
define a sole proprietorship
owned and operated by one person and exists once you start selling a product or service.
advantages + disadvantages to a sole proprietorship
- easy to set-up - only need to complete a business registration to get started
- lower start-up costs
- freedom/control for owners, 4. less regulatory requirements - no separate file tax return
- unlimited liability - no distinction between your personal assets + business assets
- business continuity - business may be put on hold
- raising funds - have access to personal savings
define a partnership
a business created with 2 or more people who share knowledge and resources in launching the business
define a partnership agreement
aims to address the nature of the business, financial contributions from each partner ,responsibilities of each partner, how profits are shard, how decisions will be made, how disputes can be resolved, what happens if a partner wants to leave, and how to end the partnership
what are the advantages of a partnership
- being easy + inexpensive to form
- sharing start-up costs between partners - more people = more finanical resources
- shared management + decision making
- less regulatory requirements - income + expenses of the business flow through personal tax returns
what are the disadvantages of a partnership
- unlimited liability - personal assets could be used to off any debt
- potential conflict between partners
- business continuity - definite life
define a corporation
considered a separate legal entity - ownership is through shared capital - shareholders aren’t personally liable for debts or acts of the corporation.
what are the advantages of the corporation
- limited liability - personal assets = distinct from company’s assets
- business continuity - corporation has an indefinite life as ownership is transferable
- greater access to financing
- possible tax advantages - taxes may be lower
What are the disadvantages of a corporation
- higher start-up costs - corp. requires a lawyer to form articles of incorporation and bylaws
- greater regulatory requirements - corps are closely regulated , filing sperate tax returns, regular reporting, requirements to maintain corporate records
what percentage of small businesses survive past their 5th year of operations
50%
Why is it that business that are typically easier to start tend to have the least growth potential and greater failure rates?
the ease entry indicates lots of competition, larger supply in the marketplace and lower prices
why is it that business that are harder to start more likely to be successful and generate significant profit?
the difficulty to enter and main the business keeps competition away, lowers supply, and allows business to charge higher prices.
what are some critical elements of business management
- planning
- understanding your customers
- managing your employees
- maintaining good records
- financing your business
what are some causes of small business failure
poor management of business - under/overpricing goods, plunging in first without testing waters on a smaller scale, going into business with little to no experience
how does globalization impact consumers?
benefit as more options are available
how does globalization impact an employee
has helped connect employees with customers, clients or business partners - in business operations, it could mean sourcing resources to make a product or marketing a company’s product in another
how does globalization impact the owner of a business
allows businesses to expand their reach beyond their own city - small businesses have the opportunity to consider how they can appeal to customers in a foreign market and larger companies may outsource less critical functions to focus on certain aspects.
what has driven businesses to become more global?
competition and advances in connectivity
what percentage do small businesses in Canada account for Canadian exporters
90%
why do we trade?
- no country can produce all the products and services their people want + need.
- countries produce beyong their ability to consume
define importing
the purchase of goods + services from another country
define exporting
the sale of goods + services to another country
define the balance of trade
the relationship between importing and exporting
define a trade surplus
occurs when there’s a favourable balance of trade where exports are greater than imports