Depreciation is a cost estimation method for accounting for the worth of a long-term asset over its useful life. Depreciation is used to spread the cost of a tangible asset over the accounting periods in which the asset is used. There are some questions surrounding this topic that are essential to explore. For instance, what are the tax implications of depreciation? What are the different depreciation methods, and how can they be used to calculate the amount? What are the best practices for managing depreciation? How does depreciation help to ensure a company’s financial health? Each of these questions will be explored in more detail to understand the concept of depreciation fully. Since antiquity, depreciation has been utilized for cost apportionment. Initially, the idea was developed by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who believed that the value of an asset declined over time. By the 19th century, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto Continue reading
Business Finance Terms
What is Profit Center?
When financial performance of a responsibility center is measured in terms of the organization’s profit, then it is called a profit center. In a profit center, performance is measured in terms of the numerical difference between revenues (outputs) and expenditure (inputs). A profit center is given the responsibility of earning profits. It is involved in the manufacture and sale of outputs, and it measures how well the center is doing economically. The profit center also determines the efficiency of the manager in charge of the center. Profit as a measure of performance is especially useful since it enables senior management to use one comprehensive measure instead of several measures that often point to different directions. A profit center helps in motivating managers to perform well in areas they control and also encourages managers to take initiatives. The profit center helps the organization to make the best use of specialized market Continue reading
Installment Purchase System – Meaning and Concept
An installment purchase system is just like a credit purchase and hire purchase system of selling and buying goods. Like hire purchase, in installment purchase system an agreement is made between buyer and seller to purchase and sell of goods. The buyer makes certain down payment at the time of signing agreement and the balance is paying in installment over a period of time. An installment purchase system is a credit sale in which payments are made in installments over a period of time. In this system, the buyer gets the possession as well as ownership of the goods right at the time of signing the agreement. During the course of paying the installment, if the buyer makes default in paying the installment, the vendor cannot responses the goods. In that case, the vendor can sue the buyer for recovery of dues. Like in hire purchase even the paid installments Continue reading
What is Angel Investing? Concept, Benefits, and Disadvantages
Implementation of a viable business idea will normally require a great deal of capital and the ability of the entrepreneur to raise the necessary capital, the higher the chances of business success. Start ups are businesses at the initial stages and hence there are very limited sources of funds available to such businesses due to uncertainties surrounding their success. Start ups will therefore depend largely on the owner’s capital and contribution from friends. Credit facilities from financial institutions and other lenders will normally require collaterals and this limits the chances of new business owners to secure such findings. In recent times however, the entrepreneurs across the world have been able to get a lot of reprieve from venture capitalist that are willing to support a business idea to its implementation stages. A venture capital is a specialized form of funding that targets high risk high return investments with potential growth in Continue reading
What is Owner’s Equity? Meaning and Components
Preferred and common stockholders have some interests in organizations which are referred to as owner’s equity. Investors contribute to the capital of a corporation through the purchase of stocks sold by the corporation without the use of a secondary market. This type of capital is referred to as paid-in capital. The total paid-in capital is a combination of share capital and additional paid-in capital that is normally added to the nominal value of a stock. On the other hand, earned capital is the type of capital that comes from a company’s profitable operations. The two types of capital are normally reflected on the balance sheet as part of the owner’s equity. Earned capital is calculated by subtracting dividends from the total sum of the company’s beginning capital and the net income. The net income of a company is the major source of earned capital. Companies reinvest earned capital to generate more Continue reading
What is Return on Investment (ROI)?
Return on Investment (ROI) refers to a well-known financial metric commonly used to analyze the financial results which arise from personal investments as well as deeds. A number of varying metrics are basically known by the same definition. Normally used as a cash flow metric, the Return on Investment particularly makes a comparison of the scale as well as scheduling of investment gains which are matched directly to the scale and scheduling of costs involved. In any situation where the ROI is seen to post a high rate, it implies that the gains which have been made compare well with the costs that had been incurred. Return on Investment (ROI) = (Net Profit or Gain / Cost of Investment) * 100 Return on Investment has grown into a well-known concept within the past few decades mostly as an all-purpose metric for analyzing capital attainments, business initiatives, and conservative fiscal investments. These Continue reading