CanadaOne Twitter CanadaOne Linkedin CanadaOne Facebook CanadaONe RSS

Articles

Accounting 101: Financial Terms Glossary

By Kim Mortson |

Access-2Capital | Preparation Steps | Financial Glossary | Award Programs | Loan Programs (Youth)

Basic Steps to Complete before Investigating Financing Options for your Small Business:

Financing Definitions:

Assets: All items of value owned by a business or individual, such as cash, inventories, land, buildings.

Balance Sheet: The financial statement that provides a snapshot of everything a business has and owes at one point in time. The total assets of the business equal the total of its liabilities and owner's equity.

Break-even: Break-even point represents the volume of sales at which total revenue equals total costs. Break-even calculations are a means of calculating the break-even point.

Cash Flow: The movement of cash into and out of the business.

Cash Flow Budget: (Cash Budget) Shows cash flows (cash received and cash paid out) for a specified period of time

Current Assets: Those assets, such as cash, account receivable and inventories, which are likely to be turned into cash within one year.

Current Liabilities: The amounts owed, such as accounts payable, wages and taxes, that will normally be paid within one year.

Current Ratio: Current assets divided by current liabilities. This ratio is an indication of how easily a business can meet its current debts.

Debt Capital: Funds which are borrowed to run a business – from yourself, other individuals or financial institutions.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio: A measure of how much debt your business has in relation to amount of equity. A high level of debt to equity means greater risk for lenders.

Equity Capital: Money invested in the business by owners.

Fixed Assets: Assets, such as buildings, machinery and land that are unlikely to be turned into cash or sold within one year.

Fixed Costs: Costs of doing business that remain unchanged, regardless of the level of sales. These could include rent, salaries and utility bills.

Gross Profit: Net sales less the cost of goods sold.

Income Statement: The financial statement that looks at a business's revenues, less expenses, to calculate net income for a certain period of time.

Liquidity: A term that describes how readily assets can be converted into cash.

Long Term Liabilities: The amounts owed which will not be payable within one year, such as mortgages and long-term loans.

Net Worth: Indicates a owner's equity in a business, calculated by deducting total liabilities from total assets. Similarly, the net worth of an individual is calculated by deducting all personal liabilities frompersonal assets.

Operating Loan: A short term loan to finance working capital needs - that is, accounts receivable and inventory.

Term Loan: A loan you obtain for a specified length of time (term) to finance the purchase of a fixed (or long-term) asset.

Working Capital: Current assets less current liabilities.

Access-2-Capital | Preparation Steps | Financial Glossary

Canadian, Eh!

For over 15 years CanadaOne has helped Canadian businesses start-up and grow. All of the content on our site is created to help busineses get Canadian answers!

Featured Member

MemberZone. Get in the zone! Join Today!

CanadaOne Recommends

Bullies in the Boardroom: Covering the Legal Bases

Should I Start My Own Company?

Conversations with Entrepreneurs: Billy Blanks

Avoiding Legal Perils: Critical Insights into Canadian Franchise Law

Starting a Business: Choosing a Year-End

More

Article Tags