BUSINESS ENGLISH_Chapter 6

FINANCE

1. Why Finance

One of the primary considerations when going into business is money. Without sufficient funds a company cannot begin operations. The money needed to start and continue operating a business is known as capital. A new business needs capital not only for ongoing expenses but also for purchasing necessary assets. These assets – inventories, equipment, buildings, and property – represent an investment of capital in the new business.

How this new company obtains and uses money will, in large measure, determine its success. The process of managing this acquired capital is known as financial management. In general, finance is securing and utilizing capital to start up, operate, and expand a company.

To start up or begin business, a company needs funds to purchase essential assets, support research and development, and buy materials for production. Capital is also needed for salaries, credit extension to customers, advertising, insurance, and many other day-to-day operations. In addition, financing is essential for growth and expansion of a company. Because of competition in the market, capital needs to be invested in developing new product lines and production techniques and in acquiring assets for future expansion.

In financing business operations and expansion, a business uses both short-term and long-term capital. A company, much like an individual, utilizes short-term capital to pay for items that last a relatively short period of time. An individual uses credit cards or charge accounts for items such as clothing or food, while a company seeks short-term financing for salaries and office expenses. On the other hand, an individual uses long-term capital such as a bank loan to pay for a home or car – goods that will last a long time. Similarly, a company seeks long-term financing to pay for new assets that are expected to last many years.

When a company obtains capital from external sources, the financing can be either on a short-term or long-term arrangement. Generally, short-term financing must be repaid in less than one year, while long-term financing can be repaid over a longer period of time.

Finance involves the sourcing of funds for all phases of business operations. In obtaining and using this capital, the decisions made by managers affect the overall financial success of a company.

 
2. Acquisition of Capital

A corporation needs capital in order to start up, operate, and expand its business. The process of acquiring this capital is known as financing. A corporation uses two basic types of financing: equity financing and debt financing. Equity financing refers to funds that are invested by owners of the corporation. Debt financing, on the other hand, refers to funds that are borrowed from sources outside the corporation.

Equity financing (obtaining owner funds) can be exemplified by the sale of corporate stock. In this type of transaction, the corporation sells units of ownership known as shares of stock. Each share entitles the purchaser to a certain amount of ownership. For example, if someone buys 100 shares of stock from Ford Motor Company, that person has purchased 100 shares worth of Ford’s resources, materials, plants, production, and profits. The person who purchases shares of stock is k known as a stockholder or shareholder.

All corporations, regardless of their size, receive their starting capital from issuing and selling shares of stock. The initial sales involve some risk on the part of the buyers because the corporation has no record of performance. If the corporation is successful, the stockholder may profit through increased valuation of the shares of stock, as well as by receiving dividends. Dividends are proportional amounts of profit usually paid quarterly to stockholders. However, if the corporation is not successful, the stockholder may take a severe loss on the initial stock investment.

Often equity financing does not provide the corporation with enough capital and it must turn to debt financing, or borrowing funds. One example of debt financing is the sale of corporate bonds. In this type of agreement, the corporation borrows money from an investor in return for a bond. The bond has a maturity date, a deadline when the corporation must repay all of the money it has borrowed. The corporation must also make periodic interest payments to the bondholder during the time the money is borrowed. If these obligations are not met, the corporation can be forced to sell its assets in order to make payments to the bondholders.

All businesses need financial support. Equity financing (as in the sale of stock) and debt financing (as in the sale of bonds) provide important means by which a corporation may obtain its capital.