Financing Business Activity (OCR GCSE Business): Revision Note

The need for finance

• All businesses need finance to get started, allow them to grow and fund their continuing activity

Short-term finance needs

• Finance is needed by business to meet short-term and long-term liabilities and to fund day-to-day activities

• Short-term sources of finance are needed to meet regular costs such as paying for utilities, suppliers and employee wages

  • They are likely to be relatively small amounts and are rarely needed beyond a year

• Important short-term finance needs include marketing costs and recruitment costs

  • These are closely linked to short-term business objectives

• Where revenue from sales does not cover these expenses, sources such as overdrafts or trade credit may be useful

Long-term finance needs

• Longer-term sources of finance are needed to fund the purchase of non-current assets such as buildings and other types of capital resources or to acquire other businesses

  • These are likely to be large sums that may be required for a significant period of time

• Where retained profit is not sufficient to meet these needs, businesses may consider taking out long-term loans, mortgages or raising share capital

Start-up finance

• Start-up finance is needed by a new business to pay for non-current assets and current assets, such as stock, before it can begin trading

• The amount of start-up finance a business needs is identified in the business plan

  • Owners often invest their own capital into a new business

  • Some small new business owners obtain a start-up loan to cover initial costs

Financing business expansion

• As a business grows, more finance may be needed to purchase capital equipment

  • It may require more machinery, buildings, IT infrastructure or vehicles which help the business increase output

• If a business wants to grow by developing new products, large amounts may need to be invested in research and development (R&D)

  • E.g. Apple's annual research and development expenses for 2023 were $29.915 Billion, a 13.96% increase from 2022, to invest heavily in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and product innovation

Internal sources of finance

• An internal source of finance is money that comes from within a business

The main sources of internal finance

• Business owners often prefer using internal finance as it avoids having to pay interest on borrowing or dilution of control by selling shares

Owner's capital

• An owner's personal savings are a key source of funds when a business first starts up

  • Owners may introduce their savings or another lump sum, e.g. money received following a redundancy

  • Owners may invest more as the business grows or if there is a specific need, e.g. a short-term cash flow problem 

• New partners invest further internal finance into a business

Retained profit

• Retained profit is the surplus of revenue over costs that has been generated in previous years and not distributed to owners

  • This is a cheap source of finance, as it does not involve borrowing and associated interest and arrangement fees

• The opportunity cost of investing the money back into the business is that shareholders do not receive extra profit for their investment

Selling assets

• Selling non-current assets that are no longer required (e.g. machinery, land, buildings) generates finance

• A sale and leaseback arrangement may be made if a business wants to continue to use an asset but needs cash

  • The business sells a non-current asset (most likely a building) for which it receives cash

  • The business then rents the premises from the new owners

    • E.g. In early 2023, Sainsbury’s announced that it was in talks to sell the prime retail property for £500 million, which will then be leased back to them by the new owners, LXi Reit

• Businesses may also sell inventory at reduced prices in order to raise additional finance

  • This reduces the risk and storage costs of holding large volumes of inventory

  • It must be done carefully to avoid disappointing customers if inventory runs low

    • E.g. Clothing retail businesses commonly hold January sales to get rid of old inventory and make space for new Spring product lines

• If a business has sufficient internal finance, it is often preferable to using external sources

Evaluating internal sources of finance

External sources of finance

• An external source of finance is money that is introduced into the business from outside 

  • External finance is used when a business cannot fulfil its needs with internal sources of finance

The main sources of external finance

• The implications of the different types of external finance need to be carefully considered

  • Interest and fees to arrange financing can vary significantly between financial providers

  • The percentage of company ownership required in exchange for finance depends on how much risk investors are willing to take

  • The length of time allowed to repay borrowings or achieve investment targets also varies

Overdraft

• An overdraft is a flexible arrangement for a business current account holder to spend more money than they have in their account

• Some large businesses rely heavily on overdrafts to manage working capital

  • A limit is agreed upon, and interest is charged only when a business ‘goes overdrawn

  • Overdraft users are typically charged interest at a daily rate

    • Using an overdraft for a long period can therefore be expensive compared to other methods

  • An overdraft may be ‘called in’ if the bank is concerned about a business's ability to repay what it owes

    • This means that the overdraft facility is no longer available for a business to use

Trade credit

• Trade credit is where a business has an agreement to delay paying suppliers for a typical period of 30 to 90 days

  • This helps to improve the cash flow position of the business 

  • Trade credit is usually interest-free

  • Large businesses tend to be able to request more generous trade credit terms from suppliers than small businesses

  • However, businesses using trade credit may miss out on early payment discounts

  • Trade credit is not normally available to new customers

Finance from loans

• A sum of money is borrowed from a bank or other financial provider and repaid with a fixed interest rate over a specific period of time 

  • The loan application must be approved before funds are transferred to the business

    • This may require a convincing business plan containing financial forecasts

    • Some financial providers demand collateral before a loan is granted

  • Long-term loans, known as mortgages, are used to fund the purchase of buildings and land

    • Repayment is in installments, typically over a long period of 25 or more years

    • Mortgages often have variable interest rates, so the cost of repayments can fluctuate

Finance from selling shares

• A private limited company can raise finance by selling shares to friends, family or private investors such as business angels

  • Ownership can be limited to those with a personal interest in the business

• Public limited companies can raise large amounts of finance through the initial sale of shares during stock market flotation or through a rights issue

  • Ownership of a business is diluted across a large number of shareholders

• Debentures are long-term loan certificates issued by limited companies to shareholders

  • Debentures must be repaid with a fixed rate of interest to lenders

• Venture capitalists may invest technological expertise, financial advice and management experience in return for a share in the business

  • Their investment is usually made for a fixed period of time, typically four to six years, during which they expect their investment to have gained value

Crowdfunding

• Crowdfunding allows a large number of small investors to provide finance to businesses on online platforms such as Kickstarter

• Businesses need to provide a persuasive business plan to convince individuals to invest in their product, as they will be competing with many other projects online

  • Incentives, such as a sample or early access to a product, often attract investors

  • E.g. In November 2022 well-known Twitter commentator Russ Jones published his long-awaited book funded via Unbound, a crowdfunding publisher

Other external sources of finance

• Businesses also access finance through the use of credit cards or charge cards

  • These are particularly useful as a means to allow employees to make small purchases that are centrally paid

  • Interest charges can be high so their use is carefully monitored

• Instead of purchasing and owning assets outright, businesses can opt to lease or use hire purchase agreements

  • A business acquires equipment such as machinery or vehicles, spreading the cost of its use over time

    • This is not a method to raise capital but allows the business use of an asset they would otherwise need to purchase

    • A business does not own the assets that are leased, and only owns hire-purchase assets once the final payment is made

• Government grants are sums of money provided to businesses by governments and some outside agencies

  • They do not usually have to be repaid

  • The money is often provided with certain conditions attached, such as the business must locate in a particular area in order to create jobs

  • Obtaining grants can be quite difficult, as many businesses compete for the same limited finance