Entrepreneurship Unit 6 Quiz

Unit 6: Assessing a New Venture's Financial Strength and Viability

• This unit focuses on evaluating the financial health of new businesses.
• Understanding financial management is crucial for entrepreneurial firms.
• Four key financial objectives for entrepreneurial firms are identified.
• The process of financial management within entrepreneurial companies is described.
• The distinction between historical and projected (pro forma) financial statements is explained.
• Different types of historical financial statements are detailed and their purpose explained.
• The role of forecasts in predicting company income and expenditure is discussed.
• The importance of pro forma financial statements is explained.

Unit Objectives

• Learning the importance of understanding financial management in an entrepreneurial firm.
• Identifying the four main financial objectives of entrepreneurial firms.
• Describing the financial management process used in entrepreneurial firms.
• Explaining the difference between historical and pro forma financial statements.
• Describing different historical financial statements and their purpose.
• Examining the role of forecasts in predicting a firm's future income and expenses.
• Understanding the purpose of pro forma financial statements.

Financial Management

• Financial management involves raising capital and managing company finances for maximum return.
• Chapter 10 focuses primarily on raising capital.
• New ventures track financial progress by analyzing past statements.
• Forecasting future income and expenses is key through pro forma (projected) financial statements.
• Ongoing financial management addresses questions like profitability, cash on hand, short-term obligations, asset utilization, and comparison with industry peers.
• Funding sources for capital improvements and risk sharing with other firms are considered.
• Overall financial health is continuously evaluated.

Financial Objectives of a Firm

• Profitability: A company's ability to generate profit, vital for long-term viability and return to owners. Early-stage companies may not be profitable for the first few years.
• Liquidity: A company's ability to meet short-term financial obligations. Keeping enough cash on hand is critical and is often a challenge.
• Efficiency: How productively a firm uses its assets in relation to revenue and profits. Southwest Airlines is an example of high asset efficiency.
• Stability: The overall strength of a firm's financials, especially the relationship between debt and equity. Stable companies earn profits and maintain a healthy amount of liquid assets while keeping debt manageable.

The Process of Financial Management

• Financial statements are used to evaluate if financial objectives are being met by the firm.
• Financial statements provide quantitative data about a firm's health. Common statements are the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows.
• Forecasts are estimates of future income and expenses based on past performance, current factors, and future plans.
• New ventures often use industry averages or similar start-up experiences to inform forecasts for items like cost of goods sold.
• Budgets (itemized income, expense, and capital need forecasts) are important financial planning and control tools.
• Financial ratios help to assess if financial objectives are being accomplished and if the company is comparable to industry peers.
• Financial management expertise is critical and is key to success as an entrepreneur.

The Process Flow (Diagram)

• Preparation of historic financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements).
• Preparation of forecasts (income, expenses, and capital expenditures).
• Preparation of pro forma financial statements (pro forma income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement).
• Ongoing analysis of financial results (ratio analysis, results against plans, and results against industry norms)

Financial Statements

• Historical Statements: Reflect past performance. Often prepared quarterly or annually. Public firms are required to provide public historical statements.
• Pro Forma Statements: Future projections based on forecasts. Often done two to three years ahead. They are planning tools only and not legally required.

Importance of Keeping Good Records

• Good record-keeping is the essential first step to sound financial management.

Example: New Venture Fitness Drinks

• Sports-drink company has been in operation for five years.
• Targeting sports enthusiasts, it sells nutritional fitness drinks.
• Strategy is to place locations near large sports complexes.
• Profitable and growing at a rate of 25% annually.

Historical Financial Statements (Detailed)

• Income Statement: Shows a firm's profitability over a period. Includes revenues and expenses.
• Balance Sheet: A snapshot of a firm's assets, liabilities, and owner's equity at a particular time.
• Statement of Cash Flows: Shows changes in cash position over time, including cash inflows and outflows.

Historical Income Statements (Example Data)

• Contains specific financial data for income and expense statements for given years (2012, 2013, 2014).

Historical Balance Sheets (Example Data)

• Contains specific financial data for the firm's assets, liabilities, and equity for given years (2012, 2013, 2014).

Historical Statement of Cash Flows (Example Data)

• Contains specific financial data for cash flow from operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities for given years (2014, 2013).

Ratio Analysis

• Ratio analysis is used to interpret and make sense of financial statements and compare firm performance against industry norms.
• Same ratios are used to evaluate both historical and pro forma statements.

Pro Forma Financial Statements

• Pro forma statements project future financial performance.
• Similar to historical, but look forward rather than backward.
• Used for planning and adjusting strategies.
• Necessary for seeking funding or financing.

Types of Pro Forma Financial Statements

• Pro Forma Income Statement: Projects financial results over a period.
• Pro Forma Balance Sheet: Projects a snapshot of a firm's financial position at a point in time.
• Pro Forma Statement of Cash Flows: Projects the flow of cash in and out of a company during a specific period.

Pro Forma Income Statement (Example Data)

• Contains financial data for projected income statements for given years(2015, 2016).

Pro Forma Balance Sheets (Example Data)

• Contains financial data for projected balance sheets for given years (2015, 2016).

Pro Forma Statement of Cash Flows (Example Data)

• Detailed cash flow information from operating, investing, and financing activities for projected years (2015, 2016).

Ratio Analysis (Based on Historical and Pro Forma Statements) (Example Data)

• Shows a comparison of profitability and liquidity ratios over different years (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016).

Forecasts

• Forecasts predict future sales, expenses, income, and capital expenditures.
• The analysis of historical financial statements is followed by preparation of forecasts.
• Forecasts inform the basis for pro forma statements.
• Creating accurate budgets, financial plans, and proactive financial management are facilitated by forecasts.
• Existing firms use sales history, production capacity, and demand factors for forecasts.
• New ventures often base forecasts on industry average sales and similar businesses.
• Expenses are often forecast using percentage-of-sales methods (except for items like depreciation).

This quiz assesses your understanding of the financial strengths and viability of new ventures. You'll explore key concepts in financial management, the importance of financial objectives, and the use of historical and projected financial statements. Prepare to demonstrate your knowledge of managing finances within entrepreneurial firms.