Entrepreneurship Final Exam
Dunkin' Donuts
"America runs on dunkin"
Lo'Real
"Because you're worth it"
TGI Friday's
"Come for the food, stay for the fun"
KFC
"Finger lickin' good"
Nike
"Just do it"
You create this strategy by:
- making specific plans for, and arrangements to deal with, foreseeable events - creating and enforcing an appropriate code of conduct for yourself and all employees - ensuring that valuable assets are physically secure - actively working to get rid of any physical hazards in your workplace BE PROACTIVE
3 types of accounting
- managerial accounting - financial accounting - tax accounting
Tagline
- memorable catchphrases that captures the idea of a business, its service, product, or customer - also known as a slogan
Uses of financial accounting
- reporting to Outsiders - record Keeping - taxation - control of Receivables - analysis of Business Operations
Crowdfunding for equity
-Document your business -Make a business plan -Create a compelling story -Create a professional-looking video -Develop a list of potential investors
Events related to customers and others
1) injuries suffered while upon business property 2) injury or damage that is caused during the use of the businesses' products - product liability: payment for injury or damage that occurs during the use of the businesses' products
Managing risk from violations of tax regulations
1) keep compete, accurate accounting records 2) establish a relationship with both an accountant and a lawyer who are expert in tax issues 3) make paying your taxes first financial priority
Common critical risks in a plan
1) overstated numbers 2) numbers that are wrong 3) inadequate cushion 4) inadequate payback 5) narrative and financials do not fit 6) no direct customer connection 7) uncertain sales 8) overlooked competition 9) experience deficits 10) "what" problems 11) deadly aggravations
Best strategy is to develop a business environment that minimizes:
1) probability of the event occurring 2) amount of loss that can be experienced if the event does occur
Insurance
a contract between two or more parties in which one party agrees, for a fee, to assume the risk of another
Cash recipients budget
a schedule of the amounts and timings of the receipts of cash into a business
Internal control
a set of rules and procedures that work to limit the opportunity for employee theft or malfeasance
Balance sheet
a statement of what a business owns (assets), what it owes to others (liabilities), and how much value the owners have invested in it (equity)
Income statement
a statement that lists revenues and expenses and shows the amount of profit a business makes for a specified period of time
Separation of duties
a type of internal control that separates the physical control of an asset from the person accounting for that asset
Vision
a very simple 5-10 word sentence or tagline that expresses the fundamental idea or goal of the firm
Angel investor
a wealthy individual who invests in companies in relatively early stages of development
Managerial accounting
accounting methods that are specifically intended to be used by managers for planning, directing, and controlling a business
Risk
cannot be prohibited, but can be controlled
Intellectual property rights
comprise the legal rights to use unique features of products or services that provide competitive advantage - only... if the holder of the intellectual property rights promptly reacts to infringement by making written objections to any and all infractions, can the legal rights be maintained
Usually with legal issues it is best to:
confront potential problems before they have a chance to get serious
Loss of key employees
is a particularly acute risk for small businesses
Antispyware programs
programs designed to report on your keystrokes or data, or give remote control of your PC to others
firewall
programs or pieces of equipment called routers which serve as a barrier between your PC and the Internet
Gift
valuable assets or services donated to the business without any obligation to repay or give up any ownership
Antivirus program
viruses are malicious programs designed to damage PCs
Coca-cola
"Open happiness"
Apple
"Think different"
Hourly fees
- a basis for legal charges in which the rate is based on a price per hour - often lawyers will charge for fractions of an hour
Setting up a computerized accounting system
- accounts payable - payroll - fixed asset - inventory - credit card sales - accounts receivable - investments
A properly conducted, independent interval audit will give you:
- an evaluation of your overall level of business risk - an objective evaluation of your risk control structure - a systematic analysis of your business processes and controls - information and irregularities detected during the audit process
Accounting equation
- assets equals liabilities plus owners' equity - specific to the balance sheet
Eight Top strategies for handling cash shortages
- borrow 20% - adjust scheduled purchases 19% - adjust scheduled payments 15% - try to collect money due 7% - sell investments 4% - sell receivables 3% - lay off employees 2% - other 5% - use personal money 25%
Tools for predicting and managing cash flow patterns
- cash recipients budget - cash disbursements budget
Techniques to increase cash flows
- deposits and progress payments - discounts for prompt payment - noncore projects - factoring receivables
Sources of financing for small businesses
- equity capital - debt - gift
The pecking order of funding sources of new firms
- external loans from commercial-rate lenders - external loans from motivated (high cost) lenders - loans or investments from family/friends/fools and trade credit - owner loans/retained earnings/owners' equity investments (where there in cash flow in the business - owner capital (personal savings, home equity credit line, etc.)
Why balance sheet?
- financial flexibility - financial strength
Most commonly identified sources of risk
- financial risk - nonpayment of debts - changes in technology - injury and illnesses suffered by employees - injury from accident incurred by customers - natural events - theft of business property - misbehavior by employees
Financial reports
- financial statements - common financial statements - income statement - balance sheet
"Crossing the Chasm" elevator pitch template
- for (target customers) - who are dissatisfied with (the current market alternative) - our product is a (new product category) - that provides (key problem-solving capability) - unlike (the product alternative) - our product (describe the key product features)
To make good decisions we need
- good information - Thus, the need for financial statements
Cash flow management is
- having enough cash available to meet business need - being able to obtain cash quickly from a variety of sources - understanding how (and when) cash is used by your business - closely monitoring accounts receivable for late payments - providing motivation for customers to make prompt payments - taking advantage of prompt payment payment discount only when it is cheaper than borrowing
A typical path to investment
- identify potential investors - elevator pitch or 1 page executive summary - 3 page executive summary - business plan - pitch deck - investor presentation
You and the law
- in a 2002 poll, less than 1 in 10 small businesses had been sued in the prior 5 years - it is easy to underestimate the number of laws that apply to small businesses - state laws applicable to small businesses are extraordinarily varied
Common financial statements
- income statement - balance sheet - cash flow statement
Property involves specific forms of risk
- inventory can be stolen, machinery can break - buildings can be damaged or destroyed - land may become laminated - patents may be infringed upon
Business liability insurance
- liability insurance pays for damage and injuries you cause to others - it also covers reputational harm a business does, such as slander - and it covers legal costs if the business is sued - a business owners policy (BOP) combines liability and property insurance
What are investors looking for?
- owners and investors want to make money - lender expect a return of this money - to get money from other people, you've got to show them that your business probably can make gains for them - growth potential is a primary concern for equity investors
Why accounting matters to small business
- proves what your business did financially - shows how much your business is worth - bankers, creditors, development agencies, and investors require it - provides easy-to-understand plans for business operations - you can't know how your business is doing without it
Sources of credit and debt from small businesses
- thrift 3% - other 9% - owner loans 12% - unknown 2% - family and friends 4% - leasing 2% - finance company 11% - commercial banks 57%
Techniques to decrease cash outflows
- trade discounts - noncash incentives - timing purchases - gaming the payment process
The path to the business plan
- vision - mission - elevator pitch - executive summary - business plan
Reasons bootstrapping is so common
-external equity capital is not available for most small business start-ups -banks do not loan to start-up businesses -owners often do not want to share ownership -owners usually want to be their own bosses -owners typically do not want to be responsible to others for losses of the business
Developing a comprehensive insurance program
-identifying risk is the first task - determine which risks are to be covered property vehicle liability worker's compensation product liability various types of malpractice coverage general liability
Cash can come from only 3 sources
1) cash can be obtained by selling products and services of the business and collecting cash from customers - called cash flow from operations 2) cash can be obtained from investments the business has made, suck as stock, bonds, land, buildings, or equipment - called cash flow from investing 3) a business may obtain cash through financing
The three primary causes of cash flow problems
1) difficulty collecting money from customers 2) seasonal variation of sales 3) unexpected decreases - sales stretch - overdraft at limit - creditor arrears - no working capital - lack of profitability - taxation arrears
Risks associated with business operations
1) events related to the property of the business 2) events related to personnel 3) events related to customers and others
Managing risk from employee violation of government regulations
1) have a written policy provided to each employee 2) conduct training of managers and employees concerning those policies 3) immediately and consistently act upon receipt of any complaint
Timely decisions and action may
avoid a problem altogether or may make solving the problem much easier and cheaper
Key employees
employees whose experience and skills are critical to the success of a business
Tax codes
laws and regulations that specify the requirements of taxation - include franchise or corporation taxes, income taxes, employee taxes, sales and use taxes, and property taxes
Protected classes
states of being that are expressly prohibited from suffering discrimination: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender, age, or disability
Bootstrapping
using low cost or free techniques to minimize your cost of doing business - how most small business start-ups are funded
Gaming the payment process
using methods to appear to be paying bills on time, when in fact payment is being delayed or avoided
Cash disbursements budget
a schedule of the amounts and timings of payments of cash out of a business
Mission statement
- 20 to 50 word paragraph that describes the firm's goals and competitive advantages - fell out of favor as they became too much like one another and too full of business jargon
Business plan
- 40 pages 1) cover letter 2) title page 3) table of contents 4) executive summary 5) the company 6) the industry 7) the market 8) the organization 9) the financials 10) the appendixes
Elevator pitch
- 60 to 100 words - 1 minute or less explaining who you are and why what you're offering is different and needed and why he/she needs to meet with you to discuss further
Executive summary
- a one-to-two page (250 to 500 words) overview of the business, its business model, market, expectations, and immediate goals - typically put at the start of a business plan and is the most popular summary form for a business plan
Pitch deck
1) title page 2) problem statement 3) solution 4) marketing opportunity 5) competitive landscape 6) target customers 7) business model 8) financials 9) business timeline 10) team 11) funding needs and uses 12) closing
Two reasons to do accounting
1) to produce information that is useful to you for managing your business 2) to meet legal or contractual requirements
The key things an influential person person looks for are:
1) your passion for your business 2) your expertise about the business and the plan 3) how professional you are in your work 4) how easy it would be to work with you
Cash flow statement
a statement of sources and uses of cash in a business for a specific period of time
Discounts for prompt payment
a reduction in sales price provided to credit customers for paying outstanding amounts in a timely manner
Financial flexibility
a businesses' ability to manage cash flows in such a manner that the company can respond appropriately to unexpected opportunities and needs
Expense
a decrease in owners' equity caused by consuming your product or service
Business plan
a document designed to detail the major characteristics of a firm--its product or service, its industry, its market, its manner of operating (production, marketing, management), and its financial outcomes with an emphasis on the firm's present and future
Growth trap
a financial crisis that is caused by a business growing faster than it can be financed
Budget
a financial plan for the future, based on a single level of operations - a quantitative expression of the use of resources necessary to achieve a business' strategic goals
Financial accounting
a formal, rule-based set of accounting principles and procedures intended for use by outside owners, investors, banks, and regulators - follows GAAP accounting rules
Debt
a legal obligation to pay money in the future
Money
a medium of exchange accepted by the community or what people buy things with or sell things for - provided a standard for measuring value, so that the worth of different goods and services can be prepared - a store of value that can be saved for later purchases
Timing purchases
a method of controlling the timing of cash outflows that is invisible to suppliers and vendors
Tax accounting
an accounting approach based on specific accounting requirements set by governmental tax agencies
Revenue
an increase in owners' equity caused by selling your product or service
Cash equivalents
assets that can quickly be converted to cash - demand deposits: money held in checking and savings accounts - currency: the bills and coins printed by governments to represent money
Factoring receivables
borrowing money secured by a firm's accounting receivable
Deposits and progress payments
cash payments received before product is completed or delivered
Total assets
current assets + non current assets
Total liabilities
current liabilities + non current liabilities
Internal understanding
extent to which employees, investors, and family members in the business know the businesse's purposes and operations
Financial statements
formal summaries of the content of an accounting system's records and transactions
Pro forma
indicates estimated or hypothetical information - will be developing Proforma Financial Statements for the B-Plan Project
Company book balance
the sum of cash inflows and cash outflows recorded in the firm's accounting records
Bank ledger balance
the sum of deposits and withdrawals recorded in a bank's accounting records
Regulation of the workplace
laws and governmental rules that limit the freedom of business owners to manage their businesses as they please
Liabilities
legal obligations to give up things of value in the future
Employee theft
misappropriation of business property by employees of that business
Equity capital
money contributed to the businesses in return for part ownership of the business
Cash
money that is immediately available to be spent
Commercial paper
notes issued by credit-worthy corporations
Trade discounts
percentage discounts from gross invoice amounts provided to encourage prompt payments
Cash flow management
planning and tracking the amounts and timing of money to be received and paid during the business cycle
How do you calculate profits?
revenue - expenses
Noncore projects
revenue-producing tasks and activities related to, but not part of, the primary strategy of a business
Noncash incentives
rewards that do not require payment of cash, such as stock options, compensating time off, or added vacation days
Bank available balance
the sum of money that has actually been received and paid out of a depositor's account
Cash-to-cash cycle
the time that is required for a business to acquire resources, convert them into product, sell the product, and receive cash from the sale - also called operating cycle
Total shareholder's equity
share capital + retained earnings
Computerized systems
simplify the accounting process by providing automatic error checking, entry screens that look like the common business forms, and automatic production of financial statements and management reports - example: quickbooks
Asset
something the business owns that is expected to have economic value in the future
Marketable securities
stocks and bonds that are traded on an open market
Financial strength
the ability of a business to survive adverse financial events
Owners' equity
the difference between assets and liabilities of a business
External legitimacy
the extent to which a small business is taken for granted, accepted, or treated as viable by organizations or people outside the small business or the owner's family
Pitch
the name given to the formal slide presentation summarizing your business plan given before judges or potential investors or partners
Business risk
the probability that the future state of the business will be less successful than planned, resulting in the loss of value of business assets
Pitch deck
the slideshow presentation that summarizes a business plan