Edexcel Business A Level Revision

Sole traders - (Unincorporated) An individual owning the business on his/her own. Registered as self-employed and has unlimited liability. The sole trader owns all the businesses assets personally and is personally liable for the business debts. Therefore, their home and all of their assets may be used to pay off any debts that may incur and are unable to pay ADVANTAGES Quick and easy to set up (they can always be transferred to a limited company once launched) Simple to run - owner has complete control over decision making Minimal paperwork Easy to close/shut down All profits go to the shareholder Financial records remain private Motivation is high as the success of the individual and the business are one and the same DISADVANTAGES Full personal liability - "unlimited liability" Harder to raise finance - sole traders often have limited funds of their own and security against which to raise loans The business is the owner - the business suffers if the owner b...

Unincorporated - A business that does not possess a separate legal identity from its owner(s). The owner(s) bear full liability for any action or inaction of the business : they may sue and be sued for business activity or inactivity. The owner is the business. Most unincorporated businesses operate as sole traders. Incorporated - means owners have their own legal identity and have limited liability. Most incorporated businesses operate as Ltd. Unlimited Liability - business owners are personally liable for all business debts if the business can't pay its liabilities . Only unincorporated businesses have unlimited liability. If the unincorporated business fails, the owners are liable for the amounts owed.   Limited Liability - the condition by which shareholders are not liable for any debts owed by the company. They only lose the money that they have invested in the business in the form of shares. Can own things itself (assets), can sue and be sued. Companies are owned ...

Cash flow forecast - is a statement of the expected cash inflow coming from the sales revenue and expected cash outflow needed to cover production costs. The difference between the inflow and the outflow is the net cash flow , a crucial indicator of the ability of a business to cover its day-to-day running costs. Cash flow is important to a business as it needs it to ensure a positive cash balance in order to meet day to day expenses. It roughly estimates cash flow for up to about two years into the future. The forecast will help potential lenders (including banks) to see what the likely financial needs of the business will amount to.  CALCULATING CASH FLOW Opening Balance = what is in the bank on the first day of the month Total cash inflow = all cash entering the business in that month Total cash outflow = all cash leaving the business in that month Net cash flow = Total cash inflow - Total cash outflow Closing balance = Opening balance + Net cash flow FIGUR...