Finance can be defined as the art and science of managing money. Virtually all individuals and organization earn or raise money and spend or invest money. Finance is concerned with the process, institutions, markets and instruments involved in the transfer of money among and between individuals, business and governments. Finance, in another word, can be defined as the management of the flows of money through an organization, whether it be a corporation, school, bank, or government agency. Finance concerns itself with the actual flows of money as well as any claims against money. Finance is regarded as the life-blood of the business unit. This function involves planning, procurement and effective utilization of the funds of the business. Accounting is the methodical or precise recording, reporting, and assessment of financial deals and transactions of a business. Accounting also involves the preparation of statements or declarations concerning assets, liabilities, and outcomes of Continue reading
Business Finance Concepts
Leasing – Meaning, Types, Benefits and Limitations
Leasing is understood to be a financial instrument that permits an individual or the lessee to enjoy the utility of a physical asset without possessing it or without assuming ownership of the asset. Leasing can also be defined as an arrangement between two main parties namely: the lessor or the leasing company and the person or the lessee. The customer or the lessee can rent the asset from the company for a particular period of time. The rent for leasing are always predetermined and are due after a particular fixed intervals of time and the lessee assumes the ownership of the property for the entire lease period. There is no purchase option at the expiry of the lease period. Leasing applies to equipment’s that are expensive and bulky or large. Leasing has advantage of tax exemption since the individual avoids the per annum leasing charges; also there is the advantage of avoiding Continue reading
The Concept of Cash Management
Concept of Cash “Cash, like the blood stream in the human body, gives vitality and strength to business enterprises.” Though cash hold the smallest portion of total current assets. However, cash is both the beginning and end of working capital cycle – cash, inventories, receivables and cash. It is the cash, which keeps the business going. Hence, every enterprises has to hold necessary cash for its existence. Moreover, steady and healthy circulation of cash throughout the entire business operations is the basis of business solvency. In the words of R.R. Bari, “Maintenance of surplus cash by a company unless there are special reasons for doing so, is regarded as a bad sigh of cash management.” Cash may be interpreted under two concepts. In narrow sense, cash is very important business asset, but although coin and paper currency can be inspected and handled, the major part of the cash of most Continue reading
Ploughing Back of Profits – Definition, Need, Advantages and Disadvantages
The ‘Ploughing Back of Profits‘ is a technique of financial management under which all profits of a company are not distributed amongst the shareholders as dividend, but a part of the profits is retained or reinvested in the company. This process of retaining profits year after year and their utilization in the business is also known as ploughing back of profits. It is actually an economical step, which a company takes, in the sense, that instead of distributing the entire earnings by way of dividend, it keeps a certain percentage of profit to be re-introduced into the business for its development. Such a phenomenon is also known as ‘Self-Financing’, ‘Internal Financing’, or ‘Inter- Financing’. A part of profits is ploughed back or re-employed into the business and is regarded as in ideal source of financing expansion and modernization schemes as there is no immediate pressure to pay a return on Continue reading
Capital Sources for Business: Preference Shares
Preference shares are those which carry priority rights in regard to the payment of dividend and return of capital and at the same time are subject to certain limitations with regard to voting rights. The preference shareholders are entitled to receive the fixed rate of dividend out of the net profit of the company. Only after the payment of dividend at a fixed rate is made to the preference shareholders, the balance of profit will be used for paying dividend to ordinary shares. The rate of dividend on preference shares is mentioned in the prospectus. Similarly in the event of liquidation the assets remaining after payment of all debts of the company are first used for returning the capital contributed by the preference shareholders. Types of Preference Shares Cumulative and non-cumulative: In the case of cumulative preference shares, the unpaid dividend goes on accumulating until paid. The unpaid dividends Continue reading
Importance of Financial Information to Stakeholders
In business there are two types of stakeholders that’s: internal stakeholders and external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders mean those stakeholders are dwell inside the company for examples: managers, employees, board members etc. On the other hand those stakeholders are not directly a part of a company is called external stakeholders for examples: shareholders, customers, suppliers etc. All shareholders want to see the use of their investment and thus asses the management through the financial statements. Because financial statements are very useful for businesses. Stakeholders of the company require the financial information for following reasons. To know how well the company is doing. To find company has earned more money than they spent. To get an idea about strategic and tactical plans of the management. To provide information to make decisions who make decisions about organisatoin. Avoid dissimulations and corruptions of the organisation. The usefulness of financial statements to different stakeholders is Continue reading