Category: Business Principles
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Returns, Allowances and Discounts in Accounting
In the revenue section of every income statement (profit and loss statement) is an adjustment group to sales. This group reflects the value related to the actual sale of the product or services.
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Mixed Costs
Mixed costs are a more advanced business concept. Mixed costs refer to a combination of both a fixed and variable component. A common error made by most small business entrepreneurs is the misapplication of the formula. Many small business owners understand the textbook definition but rarely exercise the concept in reality.
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Crowdfunding in Small Business
The process of collecting a large pool of investors, each contributing or investing a small amount of dollars for a highly focused project is referred to as crowdfunding.
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Substitution Principle in Business
There are a multitude of principles used in business, some are industry specific, others are functions of business. But there is one that is a general principle that is used across the board in all areas of business. It is called the ‘Substitution Principle’. It works just like the substitution principle in math that we…
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People, Process & Product – The Profit
Marcus Lemonis is the star of a TV series show called ‘The Profit’. He helps failing business turn around and become successful operations by fixing the three core elements of every business. He refers to these elements as the 3 P’s: People, Process and Product. It is an interesting show as it falls into the same arena…
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Three Primary Characteristics of Successful Businesses
Over the last 27 years of working in the world of accounting, I have become convinced that to be successful in business, you must have three primary characteristics. It is the common thread that binds all successful operations in every industry I have witnessed.
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Tax Basis of Accounting – Accrual or Cash
This is the most often asked question by all new businesses. Should I be on the cash or accrual basis of accounting for tax purposes? The common layman would always answer ‘CASH BASIS’ for tax purposes. They say this because they understand that you only pay the tax on the cash that you keep. But for…
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Phantom Income
Those small businesses using partnership or S-Corporation formats issue Form K-1 to the respective owners. When income is assigned to the owner and there is no corresponding cash related to that income, then this income is referred to as ‘Phantom Income’. In effect, it is assigned income for tax purposes without the corresponding cash to pay…
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Cost Drivers in Small Business
The textbook answer defines cost drivers as those factors that determine the overall cost of operations. As an example, in manufacturing the cost drivers may be processing time or number of steps to produce the product. With service, the cost drivers could be the actual ratio of billable to non-billable time.
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Project Accounting – Introduction and Value
In the world of accounting, project accounting is a subset of financial accounting. Many folks believe it is a form of cost accounting and it is not.