Edexcel Business A Level Revision

Foreign Direct Investment - is investment made by a business or other entity from one country into the production capacity of a business or other entity from another country e.g. factories Inward FDI / Horizontal FDI - An investment into a country involving an external or foreign company either investing in or purchasing the goods of a local economy. Outward FDI / Vertical FDI - A business strategy in which a domestic firm expands its operations to a foreign country via an investment, merger/acquisition or expansion of an exisiting foreign facility. FDI can be used by businesses to achieve the aim of growth. Countries try to attract FDI using strategies such as lower levels of corporation tax, subsidies for the building of factories, and investment in infrastructure such as roads, ports and airports. It was originally believed that FDI occurred due to differing interest rates in different countries. Businesses would transfer money globally to where they could obtain the highest...

GDP (Gross Domestic Product) - The total value of output (goods and services) produced in the UK in a particular time period, used to measure change in economic activity.   NATIONAL INCOME / POPULATION To assess the economies development of growing economies the following indicators can be used; GDP (represented in US dollars ($), which allows for direct campariosn between countires) Literacy Health Human Development Index (HDI) GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT  The main measure used is GDP and is calculated by - NATIONAL INCOME / POPULATION Gross domestic product is the economic activity of a country and shows its up and downs if measured over time, known as the business cycle. This is the most commonly used method to measure a country's living standards. As GDP per capita rises, it is also assumed that living standards in that country also rise.   LITERACY   This refers to the percentage of adults who can read and write. Investment in human capi...

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) - The transfer of funds by a foreign business to purchase and acquire physical capital,  such as factories and machines. TRADE OPPORTUNITIES Opens up new markets which increases wealth in countries such as China who want western brands British provenance (" the place of origin or earliest known history of something. "). For example, fashion, finance, cars, arts, education etc. Additionally, BRICS countries can help with supplying materials and resources to British companies to help their provenance. Access to raw materials Greater movement of goods and services between countries Opportunities for cheaper production and therefore cheaper unit costs Greater investment opportunities such as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Increased profits for businesses. Trade opportunities will arise in new markets leading to an increase in demand and increased revenue and profit. The owners of businesses will see and increase in income e.g. through hi...

Risks - in business are factors that are not expected but can be quantified, such as the risk of your factory being flooded. Uncertainty - is being unsure of the factors influencing sales and therefore being unable to predict what will happen to the business in terms of its profits or growth. A business might try to minimise uncertainty by using marker research to anticipate the likely its decisions will have on its position in the market.

Growth - A common corporate objective which means expanding the sales revenue of a business, probably in the hope that profits will increase too. Overtrading - occurs when a business expands top quickly without having the financial resources to support such as quick expansion. Overtrading is where a business suffers financial difficulties from growing too quickly. This particularly relates to a business' s cash flow as if a business expands too quickly it may not have enough money to be able to purchase raw materials to meet the demands of higher sales. Overtrading is, therefore, essentially a problem of growth. It is particularly associated with retail businesses who attempt to grow too fast. When is Overtrading Most Likely to Happen? Overtrading is most likely to occur if: Growth is achieved by making significant capital investment in production or operations capacity before revenues are generated Sales are made on credit and customers take too long to settle...

Growth - A common corporate objective which means expanding the sales revenue of a business, probably in the hope that profits will increase too. Diseconomies of scale - occurs when a business grows so large that the costs per unit increase. As output rises, it is not inevitable that unit costs will fall. (UNIT COSTS RISING AS WELL OUTPUT RISING) When a business expands, they expect economies of scale, but are often shocked to find that they are outweighed by diseconomies. Diseconomies of scale can occur due to: POOR INTERNAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND ALONG THE CHAIN OF COMMAND - the more layers there are in the business hierarchy and the wider the spans of control for managers, the greater the risks of workers receiving unclear instructions about what they are supposed to do. POOR EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION - which is where workers can feel more isolated or alienated and less appreciated in a larger business so their loyalty and productivity may red...

Growth - A common corporate objective which means expanding the sales revenue of a business, probably in the hope that profits will increase too. Increasing profitability and providing a better return for investors and shareholders are particularly important for companies quoted on the stock exchange as shareholders may have purchased shares with an expectation that they will receive a certain annual return on their shares, known as dividends. This is normally achieved by increasing revenue and lowering cost per unit, resulting in increased profit margins. A benefit of increasing profits as a growth objective is that besides the fact the business is making more money, it is more likely to encourage further investors and insulate the business from competition from current or new rivals However, increasing profits may not be possible for a number of reasons, including an already saturated market and fierce competition from rivals who have either better products or a better br...

Growth - A common corporate objective which means expanding the sales revenue of a business, probably in the hope that profits will increase too. Another aim is to achieve increased market share and brand recognition, which overlap gently with increased market power. Increased market share gives greater control today and higher brand recognition gives greater influence over what will happen to the business in the future

Growth - A common corporate objective which means expanding the sales revenue of a business, probably in the hope that profits will increase too. A business will aim to achieve greater market power, which gives it more control over its future, including a greater ability to increase prices. Greater dominance over customers means pricing control ; greater dominance over suppliers gives increasing power to keep purchasing costs down. This allows the business to gain a competitive advantage.

Internal economies of scale - The cost savings that can come about from the growth of the business itself e.g. as it increases the scale of its current operations this leads to a fall in unit costs. External economies of scale - The cost savings that come about from growth outside a business but within the market or industry in which it operates. All competitors benefit Growth - A common corporate objective which means expanding the sales revenue of a business, probably in the hope that profits will increase too. One reason for a business wanting to grow it to achieve economies of scale. By growing the scale of output, a business can achieve lower unit costs which can thereby improve a firm's competitiveness. Unit costs = Total production costs in period (£) / Total output in period (units) = £? How can economies of scale provide a Competitive Advantage?    The main types of Internal economies of scale are: Purchasing Technical Managerial Purchasing = B...

Portfolio analysis is a method of analysing a business' product according to their potential. It is based on the Boston matrix, which assesses each product in terms of the market growth in its segment plus its market share. It can be used to priorities resources such as cash to put behind its marketing spending. It may also be the starting point for selling off some brands to focus on others. The aim is to provide a framework for a business to look at the opportunity cost of investing in its different product, for example where to spend limited marketing budget for the greatest return. This can be developed into international portfolio analysis, which can look at a country's attractiveness, for example market size, compared with its strength, for example market share. For more on Boston Matrix, go to... http://edexcelbusinessalevel.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/product-portfolio-boston-matrix.html

Ansoff Matrix - The Ansoff is a famous strategic maketing planning tool that helps a business determine its product and market growth strategy. The matrix identifies four alternative growth strategies to product and market strategy based around whether a business chooses to focus on existing/new products and existing/new markets and the relationship between risk and reward. MARKET PENETRATION   This is a growth strategy where a business aims to sell EXISTING products to EXISTING markets. Key Points: Trying to sell more of an existing product/service to the same target audience LIMITED RISK = limited potential reward also. Getting existing customers to buy more Widen the range of existing products Gain market share from competitors through competitive pricing or advertising Changes to the marketing mix e.g. loyalty scheme to increase repeat customers Extension strategies Evaluating market penetration: Business focuses on markets and products it knows well Can...