Unit 3.1 : Sources of Finance Flashcards
1
Q
Role of finance for businesses
A
- All activities need money to finance their various activities
- 3 most common or for the initial setting up for the business, day-to-day operations, or for expansion purposes
- Businesses can obtain their finance from a range of sources and the appropriateness of the sources of finance depends on several factors including size and type of business organization
- The role (purpose) of finance can be categorised into capital expenditure or revenue expenditure
2
Q
Capital expenditure
A
- Capital expenditure is the finance spent on fixed assets
- These are items of monetary value that have a long-term function (are used for more than a year) so they can be used repeatedly such as land, buildings, machinery, etc
- Fixed assets determine the scale of a firm’s operations. They are not intended for resale but for the purpose of generating money for the business
- The sources of finance for capital expenditure tend to come from medium and long-term sources because of the high cost of financing fixed assets
- These assets can also provide collateral for securing additional loan capital
3
Q
Revenue expenditure
A
- Revenue expenditure refers to payments for the daily running of a business such as wages, raw materials,, rent, and electricity
- It also includes the payment of indirect costs such as insurance and advertising
- Costs must be controlled in revenue expenditure so that the business can generate enough revenue to earn a profit
4
Q
Internal sources of finance
A
Finance that comes from within the business
5
Q
Types of internal sources of finance
A
- Personal Funds
- Retained Profit
- Sale of assets
6
Q
Personal Funds
A
- This is the main source of finance for sole traders and for partnerships
- A sole trader or members of a partnership can put more of their savings into the unincorporated businesses
- Short-term source of finance
7
Q
Retained Profit
A
- Profit kept in the business to use after the owner has taken their share of the profits
- This profit has to be after paying both taxes to the government and dividends to its shareholders
- Retained profits are often used for purchasing and/or upgrading fixed assets
- Some retained profit might also be kept in a contingency fund in case of emergencies or unforeseeable expenditure
- Can be a short/middle/long-term source of finance
8
Q
Pros of retained profit
A
- Does not have to be repaid like a loan
- There is no interest to pay as the capital is raised from within the business
- Permanent source of finance
9
Q
Cons of retained profit
A
- A new business will not have any retained profit
- Many small firms’ profit may be too low to finance the expansion needed
- Keeping more profits in the business reduces payments to owners
10
Q
Pros of personal funds
A
- It should be available to the firm quickly
2. No interest is paid
11
Q
Cons of personal funds
A
- Savings may be too low
2. It increases the risk taken by the owners as they have unlimited liability
12
Q
Sale of Assets
A
- Businesses can sell their dormant assets (unused assets - assets no longer of value or use), such as old machinery or outdated computers, that have been replaced
- If a business has chosen to relocate, it might be able to raise finance through the sale of land and buildings
- In more extreme cases, businesses can raise finance by selling some of their fixed assets to survive a liquidity problem
- This could be current assets (fixed like machinery) or non-current assets (raw materials, inventory etc)
- Short term source of finance
13
Q
External sources of finance
A
External sources of finance come from outside the business
14
Q
Types of external sources of finance
A
- Share capital
- Loan Capital
- Debentures
- Overdrafts
- Trade credit
- Debt factoring
- Leasing
- Grants and Subsidies
- Hire Purchase
- Venture Capitalists
- Business Angels
15
Q
Share Capital
A
- This is the main source of finance for most limited liability companies
- Share capital happens through a process of issuing shares of a company.
- It is the money raised from selling shares in the company.
- Private limited companies cannot sell their shares to the general public whereas public limited companies can issue their shares on a stock exchange
- Many businesses decide to “go public” by floating their shares on a stock exchange for the first time. This is known as IPO
- Long-term source of finance
16
Q
Function of a stock exchange
A
- A stock exchange (or stock market) enables companies to raise capital and to provide a market for second-hand shares and government stock
- The london, tokyo, and new york stock exchange are among the biggest in the world
17
Q
IPO
A
- Initial Public Offering
- IPO refers to a business converting its legal status to a public limited company by floating or selling their shares on a stock exchange for the first time
- Popular IPOs are heavily oversubscribed, which pushes up the share price
18
Q
Pros of share capital
A
- Permanent source of capital which would not have to be repaid to shareholders
- No interest is paid
- Can raise large sums of capital
- No parameters on how to spend the money
- Can act as marketing for the business
19
Q
Cons of share capital
A
- Dividends are paid after tax whereas interest on loans is paid before tax is deducted
- Dividends will be expected by the shareholders
- The ownership of the company could change hands if many shares are sold which the owners might object to
- Can only be done for incorporated companies so it is not available for sole traders and partnerships
- Financial records are made public if you are a public limited company
20
Q
Loan Capital
A
- Medium/Long term sources of finance that are obtained from commercial lenders such as banks
- Money is borrowed which is to be paid back in instalment over a predetermined period such as 5, 10, or 25 years.
- Interests charges are imposed and can be fixed or variable
- e.g. mortgage or business development loans
21
Q
Mortgage
A
- A secured loan for the purchase of property such as land of buildings
- If the borrower defaults on the loan (unable to pay back) then the lender can repossess the property (take back)
22
Q
Business development loan
A
- These are catered to meet the specific development needs of the borrower
- Businesses can use these loans to start or expand their business