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Title: IGCSE Business Studies
Description: These are comprehensive and concise IGCSE Business Studies Notes I used these notes as my main study preparation and they have been formatted to facilitate easy navigation and quick learning of the essential concepts. The notes are extremely well structured and can be relied on for study in closed or open book exams. The notes are exam focused material designed to anticipate the sorts of exam questions thereby ensuring that the student only focuses on knowing what is required to do well on the exam Topics covered in these notes include: 1.) Understanding business activity This section introduces the underlying ideas and concepts of business and includes the purpose and nature of business activity and how businesses can be classified. Enterprise and entrepreneurs, and why some businesses grow while others remain small are further important issues. How business size can be measured, types of business organisation, business objectives and stakeholder objectives are the concluding topics. 2.) People in business The focus is the functional area of human resources and includes the importance and methods of motivating a workforce. How businesses are organised and managed and the methods of recruitment, selection and training of employees are also considered. Finally, the section covers the importance and methods of effective internal and external communication. 3.) Marketing This section includes the role of marketing, the distinctions between niche and mass markets and the techniques of market segmentation. The methods and importance of market research are covered. The central role of the marketing mix, i.e. the four Ps, is made clear. Marketing strategies to influence consumer decisions at home and in new foreign markets are the final topics in this section. 4.) Operations Management The focus is the functional area of production and includes the meaning and methods of production and how productivity can be increased. The different costs of production and break-even analysis are covered. The section concludes with the importance and methods of achieving quality in the production process and location decisions of businesses. 5.) Financial information and decisions This finance and accounting section covers the need for and sources of business finance, cash-flow forecasting and working capital. Simple income statements are covered as well as statements of financial position and the analysis of accounts including why and how accounts are used. 6.) External influences on business activity This section focuses on different external influences on business activity and how these impact on a business. It includes government influences on economic, environmental and ethical issues and how they impact on the functional areas of businesses. In addition, the international economy including globalisation and its effects on businesses and governments, multinational businesses and exchange rates are important issues. Legal constraints are an external influence to be considered but these influences are covered in the relevant functional areas above, as well as in this last section. Using these notes, I was able to achieve an A* in my IGCSE Business Studies with a Percentage Uniform Mark of 92%. I hope that you can use these notes as effective as I did. Good Luck!

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Exam Marking Scheme
Paper 1
1
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) 2K (2m)
b
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) 2K, 2Ap (4m)
d
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) 1K, 1Ap, 2An, 2Ev (6m)

2
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)
4
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)

a
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) 3K, 2Ap, 3An, 4Ev (12m)
2
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)
4
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) or lower cost
of material

Chapter 2: Classification of Business









Primary Sector: Extract natural resources & turn it to raw materials
Secondary Sector: Manufacture goods using raw materials
Tertiary Sector: Provide service to consumer & other sectors
Deindustrialization: Decline in importance of secondary sector
 Causes: natural resource depletes, growth of service sector
Mixed Economy: Has both private & public-sector businesses
Private Sector: Business owned by private individuals, keep all profit
Public Sector: Business owned by government, profit used in organization
Privatization: the sale of public sector business to private sector
 Pros: more capital, higher quality due to competition, profit motive
 Cons: increase unemployment (cut cost), focus less on social objective

Chapter 3: Enterprise, Growth & Size












Entrepreneur: Person who organize, operates & takes risk of new business
 Characteristics: Creative, Hard-Working, Risk taker, Independent etc
...
help: Increase competition, create jobs, increase output
 How Gov
...

 How it helps: bank loans, set objectives, reduce risk (plan future)
Comparing Business Size
 Number of employees: but some business uses more machines
 Value of Capital Employed: but some business uses more workers
 Value of Output: but don’t take in account quantity of product sold
Why Business Growth: more profit, larger market share, status, Econ of Scale
Internal Growth: business expand its existing operation (slow but easy)
External Growth: business takes over or merge with another business
Takeover: business buys out the owner of another business
Merger: owner of businesses agrees to join their firms to form one business
Horizontal Integration: firm merge with another firm from same industry & same stage
of production
 Pros: reduce competitor, increase market share








Vertical Integration: firm merge with another firm from same industry but different stage
of production
...
Require partnership agreement
 Pros: loss shared, responsibility shared
 Cons: unlimited liability, potential conflict, profit shared
Private Limited Company: incorporated business
...

 Pros: Limited liability, high capital, original owner retain control
 Cons: legal formalities, shares hard to transfer
Public Limited Company: incorporated business that offers share to public
 Pros: limited liability, high capital, easy to transfer shares, high status
 Cons: legal formalities, no secrecy
Joint Venture: 2 or more business start a project together
 Pros: cost & risk shared, local knowledge
 Cons: profit shared, conflict
Franchise: business based upon existing brand/business
 Pros (Franchisor): grow faster, pay to use brand name, status
 Cons (Franchisor): franchisee keeps profit, bad image in one outlet affects business
 Pros (Franchisee): less risk fail, training provided, advertising done by franchisor
 Cons (Franchisee): need to pay to use brand name, less independence
Public Corporations: public sector business, owned & controlled by the government
...
Gives clear target to
workers, compare performance with objectives and encourage unity
...
Breaking even in short run
...

Public Sector: create jobs, customer service, social, financial



Stakeholders: a person with direct interest with the performance of business
...
W Taylors’ Theory: money is the main motivator
...

 Cons: too simplistic, not everyone motivated by money alone
Abraham Maslow’s Theory: Hierarchy of Needs



Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory:





Financial Rewards
 Time Rate Wages: payment of work by the hour
 Pros: easy to calculate
 Cons: clock-in-system, good & bad workers paid the same
 Piece Rate Wages: payment of work by products sold/produced
 Cons: quality of product ignored, some jobs not usable
 Salary: payment of work monthly
 Extra Pros: commission (pay/unit sold) , profit-sharing, bonus, share ownership
Non-Financial Rewards
 Fringe Benefits/Perks: non-financial rewards given to employees
 Job Rotation: workers swap duties after some time, so they won’t get bored &
increase in efficiency
 Job Enlargement: extra task that does not increase responsibility and at similar level,
so workers won’t get bored & increase in efficiency
 Job Enrichment: Adding task requiring more skill, so worker can be motivated as he
achieves self-actualization
 Autonomous Workgroups: a group given complete responsibility on a task
...


 Pros: workers feel part of company, how roles are linked, who they should report to
Line Managers: have direct responsibility over people below them
Staff Managers: provide support/assist line managers
Chain of Command: Structure that allow instruction to be passed down
Span of Control: number of subordinates directly under a manager
 Pros (short COC, long SOC): Communication quick, more delegation
 Cons (short COC, long SOC): delegation cause more errors, destroy brand image
Roles of Manager: Planning, Organizing, Co-ordinating, Controlling, Commanding
Delegation: giving subordinate authority to perform some task
 Pros: less work for manager, motivate worker, train worker
Leadership Styles:
 Autocratic: superiors take all decisions and have all orders followed
...

 Pros: subordinate feels trusted & motivated
 Cons: conflict, confusion
Trade Union: group of workers join to ensure their interest are protected
 Why Join: strength in numbers, strikes more effective, support workers

Chapter 8- Recruitment, Selection & Training Workers









Recruitment: identify need for new employee & encourage people to apply for vacancy
 Job Description: Duties & responsibilities of job
 Job Specification: Requirements, qualification & experience needed
 Advertising Vacancy: Can be Internal or External recruitment
 Pros (Internal): Business already know worker, easy & fast
 Cons (Internal): No new ideas, jealousy & rivalry
 Contract: Chosen candidates given contract can be full-time or part-time
 Pro (Part-Time): flexible, cheaper
 Con (Part-Time): less committed, difficult to communicate
Training: improve worker efficiency, skill, knowledge and motivation
 Induction: introduction to employee
 Pros: settle in quicker, less likely to make mistakes
 Cons: waste time, wages paid but no work done
 On-the-job: Trained by watching more experienced worker
 Pros: work done while training, cheaper the off-the-job
 Cons: bad habits of trainer passed down, trainer less productive
 Off-the-job: trained away from work place, usually in classrooms
 Pros: more skills taught, taught be experts, no time wasted
 Cons: expensive, easier for employee to leave company
Workforce Planning: deciding size of workforce needed for the future
Downsizing: reduce number of workers
 Dismissal: worker told to leave due to unsatisfactory work/behavior
 Redundancy: worker asked to leave as business don’t need the worker anymore
 Factors: age, relevance of job, salary, performance/mistakes, length of service
Legal Controls: minimum wage, health & safety, unfair dismissal/discrimination

Chapter 9- Internal & External Communication












One-Way Communication: receiver does not reply/give feedback
Two-Way Communication: there is reply/feedback, both parties involved
Internal Communication: between people inside the organization
External Communication: between other organization/individuals
Verbal Communication
 Pros: quick, immediate feedback
 Cons: no record, might get lost & forgotten
Written Communication
 Pros: quick & cheap, evidence, reach many people
 Cons: no direct feedback
Visual Communication
 Pros: appealing & attractive, make message clear
 Cons: no feedback, other methods need to be used alongside
IT-Based Communication
 Pros: quick, allows feedback, used widely
 Cons: too many message limits effective communication
Communication Barriers: factors that stop effective communication
 Sender Problem: ask for feedback, make message clear
 Method Problem: ask for feedback, use shortest channel
 Receiver Problem: ask for feedback, change sender
 Feedback Problem: change method
Effective Communication: avoid DisEcons of Scale, clear objective, better decision
making, exchange ideas, inform customers, good relations with suppliers/customers

Chapter 10- Marketing, Competition & Customer








Marketing: identifying & satisfy customer needs
...

 Adaptation: new product, keep cost low, improve current products
 Competitive: globalization, transportation improve & e-commerce
Market Share: proportion of total markets sales held by one business
Market: group of consumers & organizations that are interested in a product
 Mass Market: standard product that appeal to many people
 Pros: sales high, risk spread, Econ of Scales
 Cons: competition high, advertising cost high, no segmentation
 Niche Market: Specialized sub-section of market with specific needs
 Pros: less competitive, can be more expensive, specific needs meet
 Cons: sales low, risk not spread, no Econ of Scale
Market Segmentation: market Is broken down into sub-groups which contains
consumers of similar characteristics
 Segments: age, geographical, socio-econ group, gender, lifestyle
 Pros: specific needs meet, effective marketing, customer loyalty
 Cons: need market research, expensive, segment may be too small

Chapter 11- Market Research









Market Research: process of gathering, analyzing & interpreting information about a
market
 Product-Oriented: focus is on product, not the market for it
 Market-Oriented: market research is done before developing a product
 Importance: set price, check competitors/customer needs, find gap in market
Primary Research: collecting original data, direct contact with customers
 Questionnaire: set of questions to be answer for data collection
 Pros: quantitative & qualitative data be gathered
 Cons: expensive, time-consuming, response rate low
 Interviews: interviewer ask prepared question for interviewee
 Pros: question can be explained, quantitative & qualitative data gathered
 Cons: time-consuming, expensive, interviewer bias
 Focus Group: group representing target market provide information through
discussion
 Pros: quantitative & qualitative data gathered, quick feedback
 Cons: time-consuming, expensive, people opinion influenced
 Observation: market researcher watch & observe how consumer act
 Pros: cheap, fast
 Cons: qualitative data not gathered
Secondary Research: taking information already collected by others
 Sources: internet, government, newspaper/media, research agents
 Pros: fast & cheap
 Cons: less accurate, not up to date, available to competitors
Accuracy of Data: affected by sample selected, sample size & age of data
Presentation of Data: raw data converted into a form easier to understand
 Table: record data in its original form
 Bar Chart: show total number of 2 or more sets of data
 Pie Chart: shows percentage of 2 or more sets of data
 Graph: shows relation between 2 sets of data

Chapter 12- Product







Product: most important element in marketing mix
...

 Cost-Plus Pricing: cost of manufacture plus mark-up
 Pros: easy to apply, assured profit per product
 Cons: ignored competitors’ price
 Competitive Pricing: priced same or lower than competitors
 Pros: sales good, not under or over price
 Cons: time-consuming, expensive
 Penetration Pricing: price set very low, usually entering new market
 Pros: sales good at low price
 Cons: profit per unit low
 Price-Skimming: price set very high, usually for technology
 Pros: make consumer think quality is good, improve brand image
 Cons: may lose some potential customers due to high price
 Promotional Pricing: sold for lower price for certain amount of time
 Pros: renew interest, get rid of unwanted stock
 Cons: revenue low
 Dynamic Pricing
 Pros: high profit as price follows demand, ensure all products sold
 Cons: high cost for constant price change, troublesome for customers
Price Elasticity of Demand: measure of change in demand (sales) to a change in price
...

 Occurs when there are many close substitutes
 Price Inelastic: small change in price  small change in sales
 Occurs when there are not many close substitutes

Chapter 14-Promotion









Promotion: raise customer awareness, generate sales, create brand loyalty
Target Market: consumer groups that are potential buyers of product
Marketing Budget: financial plan for marketing a product over a certain time
 Other factors: stage of product life cycle, nature of product, culture
Advertisements: paid-for communication with customers
...

 1
...
Producer  Retailer  Consumer
 Pros: sell in large quantities, lower distribution cost
 Cons: no direct contact with customer
 3
...
Producer  Agent  Wholesaler  Retailer  Consumer
 Pros: agent has local knowledge
 Cons: adds cost level, less control over product






Retailers: companies who sell to consumers in small quantities
Wholesaler: companies that buy in bulk & breaks it into smaller quantities & sell them to
retailers
Agent: appointed to deal with distribution of products, often foreign
E-Commerce: buying & selling of products using computer linked to internet
 Pro (Business): larger market, promotion cheaper, target specific markets
 Con (Business): competition high, delivery cost high, no direct contact
 Pro (Consumer): convenient, easy to compare, products cheaper
 Con (Consumer): cannot be tried on, hacks, must have internet

Chapter 16: Marketing Strategy








Marketing Strategy: plan with appropriate marketing mix for a product to achieve a
marketing objective
 Must Consider: objectives, target market, budget, market research
 Objectives: increase sales/market share, new product, develop brand
Questions to ask on each element:
 Product: new or existing, type of product consumers like, does change meet
consumer taste
 Price: price customers be willing to pay, price competitors charge
 Promotion: methods competitors use, budget, type of promotion to attract customers
 Place: where customers buy product, where competitors sell, distribution channels
to use, distribution channels competitors use
Legal Controls: weights & measures, description of goods, safety, consumer rights for
faulty products, illegal products
 Pros: reassure customer, more confident to buy, have rights to return
 Cons: increase cost of business (redesign to meet requirements)
Foreign Market: join venture, licensing, international franchise, localize existing brand
 Pros: potential high sales/growth, lower trade barriers, home market saturated
 Cons: lack knowledge, exchange rates, transport cost, language, import controls

Chapter 17: Production of Goods & Services







Production: managing resources efficiently to produce goods & services
Productivity: output measure against input used to create it, e
...
labour
 Improved by: train/motivate workers, use technology, improve layout
 Pros: lower average cost, use less workers (lower wage cost), increase wage of
worker (motivation), increase profit, more competitive
Inventory: materials, work in progress/complete goods held by business ready for sale
 Why hold: give consumer choices & good availability, keep production supplied with
resources, provide cover in case suppliers fail to deliver
 Hold too much: illiquid, storage cost, may go out of date-waste
 Buffer level: inventory held to deal with unexpected changes
Lean Production: cutting out waste & inefficiency in the production process (reduce cost)
 Pros: production faster, less storage space, less wastage, better use of equipment
 Kaizen: continuous improvement though elimination of waste
 Pros: increase productivity, motivate workers, improve quality/communication
 Just-In-Time (JIT): reducing need to hold inventories of materials & finished goods
 Pros: products sold quicker, cuts storage space/cost, more fresh products
 Cons: risk if suppliers fail to deliver
 Cell Production: production divided into cells, each cell makes different parts
 Pros: motivate workers, more efficient





Methods of Production:
 Job: single product made at a time, for personal/specialized products
 Pros: meets exact requirement, can sell at higher price, worker more variety
 Cons: need skill labour, high cost, slow
 Batch: a group of one product is made, then a group of another item will be produced
 Pros: higher output, flexible, variety to workers/customers
 Cons: high inventories, machines reset after each product (waste time)
 Flow: large quantities of products are produced in continuous process
 Pros: high output, low average cost, Econ of Scale, can use automation
 Cons: workers get bored, need high capital, one machine breaks production stops
Technology in Production: CAD, CAM, CIM, EPOS, EFTPOS
 Pros: increase productivity/quality, faster communication, machines do boring jobs
 Cons: expensive, unemployment, employees unhappy with change

Chapter 18: Costs, Scale of Production & Break-Even Analysis











Fixed Cost: cost that do no change with output in the short run
Variable Cost: cost that change directly with output
Total Cost: Fixed Cost + Variable Cost
Average Cost: Total Cost divided by output (aka cost per unit)
Contribution: Selling Price per unit – Variable Cost per unit
Use of Cost Information: make pricing decisions, calculate profit/loss, compare options
Economies of Scales: factors that lead to lower average cost as business grows
 Types: Purchasing, Marketing, Financial, Managerial, Technical
Diseconomies of Scales: factors that lead to increase average cost as business grows
 Types: poor communication, low morale/motivation, slow decision making
Break-Even: total cost=total revenue
Break Even Chart: graph that shows how cost & revenue change at different outputs
 Uses: find break-even, influence bank decisions for loans, make comparisons
 Limitations: cost/price changes, assumes product sold, linear thinking

𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 =

𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭
𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭 − 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭

Chapter 19: Achieving Quality Production







Quality: good or service produced which meets customer expectations
 Importance: brand image/loyalty/reputation, increase sales, attract new customers
Quality Control: checking of product standard at the end of production process
 Pros: eliminates faults before it reaches customer, less training required
 Cons: expensive to hire worker to check product, doesn’t know how fault occurs, high
cost if batch is scrapped
Quality Assurance: checking standard of product throughout production process
 Pros: eliminates faults before it reaches customers, fewer complaints, reduced cost
if product not scrapped
 Cons: high training cost, relies on workers to follow standard instructions
Total Quality Management (TQM): continuous improvement of process & product by
focusing on standard at each stage of production
 Pros: quality built into each part of production, eliminates all faults, no complaints,
waste removed, efficiency increased
 Cons: high training cost, relies on workers following TQM ideology

Quality Control



QA/TQM

Focus on product
Focus on process
Detect problem & fix it
Prevent problem & improving process
A group of people responsible for quality
Everyone responsible for quality
Quality Marks: label that shows that a product has met a standard
 Pros: give customer confidence to buy, higher sales
 Cons: expensive, difficult to reach, increase cost to reach

Chapter 20: Location Decisions






Infrastructure: physical systems of a business/nation (e
...
transportation, water, power)
External Econ of Scale: cost benefits to business resulting from locating in a region with
other business operating in same industry
Location Decisions (Mains: competitors, price, parking, space needed)
 Manufacturing: production methods, weight, perishable goods, labour,
transport/communication, government, power/water, external Econ of Scales
 Service: customer location, technology, labour, near competitors, rent/taxes
 Retail: shoppers, nearby shops, parking, rent/taxes, security, vehicle access, laws
 Overseas: new market, cheaper resources, labour, rent/taxes, grants, trade barriers
Government Influence on Location Decisions:
 Encourage: businesses to set up in high unemployment areas, provide grants &
subsidies
 Discourage: businesses from locating in overcrowded areas, make laws for it to be
illegal for certain business activities to be in certain areas

Chapter 21: Business Finance: Need & Resources







Why need Finance: start-up capital, expansion, increase working capital
 Factors: amount needed, size/type of business, gearing, purpose, long or short term
Start-Up Capital: money needed to start a new business (buy assets) to start trading
Working Capital: money, in short term, to pay for day-to-day expenses
 Working Capital= Current Assets – Current Liabilities
Capital Expenditure: money spent on non-current assets, lasting for more than 1 year
Revenue Expenditure: money spent on current assets/day-to-day expenses
Internal Finance: finance/money from within the business itself



 Owners Savings (for non-limited business: sole trader, partnership)
 Pros: available quickly, no interest
 Cons: may not be enough, increase risk of owner(s)
 Sale of Inventory
 Pros: reduce storage cost, less capital tied to inventories
 Cons: inventory too low may disappoint customers as demand not quickly met
 Sale of Assets
 Pros: better use of old/unused assets, debts not increase
 Cons: takes time to sell assets, new business does not have assets to sell
 Retained Profit
 Pros: not repaid, no interest
 Cons: not suitable for new business, limited amount, reduce payment to owners
External Finance: finance/money from source outside of & separate from business
 Long Term: money needed for more than 1 year
 Issue of Shares (for limited companies: private/public)
 Pros: not repaid, no interest
 Cons: dividends expected, ownership could be loss, only for companies
 Bank Loans
 Pros: quick to arrange, vary repayment period, big companies pay less interest
 Cons: repaid with interest, security/collateral needed
 Leasing
 Pros: large cash outlay not needed, maintenance paid for by leasing company
 Cons: total payment (maybe) higher than purchase price
 Hire Purchase
 Pros: large cash outlay not needed
 Cons: interest paid, asset not owned until last payment made, may need deposit
 Grans & Subsidies
 Pros: not repaid
 Cons: may have conditions
 Selling Debentures (for public limited companies)
 Pros: raise finance for long time (e
...
25 years), large amount raised
 Cons: repaid with interest
 Short Term: money needed & paid back within 1 year
 Trade Credit
 Pros: no interest, improve cash flow
 Cons: need to be paid or goods not supplied
 Factoring Debt
 Pros: immediate cash available, no risk of debt not being repaid
 Cons: receive less than full amount of debt
 Overdraft
 Pros: interest only paid on amount borrowed, flexible than loans
 Cons: interest rate higher than loan, banks can ask for repay in very short notice
 Microfinance
 Pros: small amount borrowed, available to poorer groups, no security needed
 Cons: repaid with interest

Chapter 22: Cash Flow & Working Capital



Cash Flow: Cash inflows & outflows over a period of time
 Inflows: sale of product/assets, borrow money, investors’ money
 Outflows: buy goods/raw material, pay bills, buy assets, repay loans, pay creditors
Cash Flow Cycle: stages between paying out cash (outflow) & receiving cash (inflow)
 cash  pay for expenses  produce goods  goods sold  cash







Cash Flow Problems: too little cash, production stops, forced into liquidation
 Short-Term: delay payment to suppliers, ask debtors pay quickly, borrow money
 Long-Term: attract customers, cut cost, increase efficiency/sales, new product
Cash Flow Forecast: Estimate of future cash in/outflows of business (monthly)
 Importance: shows cash available/whether need loan/holding too much cash
Components of a Cash Flow Forecast:
 Cash Inflow: sums of money received by business during a period of time
 Cash Outflow: Sums of money paid out by business during a period of time
 Net Cash Flow: Cash inflow – Cash outflow
 Opening Balance: Closing Balance of previous month (cash held at start of month)
 Closing Balance: Opening Balance + Net Cash Flow (cash held at end of month)
Working Capital: money, in short term, to pay for day-to-day expenses
 Working Capital = Current Assets – Current Liabilities
 Importance: measure of success, shows investors & bank efficiency, shows
financial strength, business cannot run without working capital

Chapter 23: Income Statements








Accounts: financial record of a business’s transactions
Final Accounts: shows profit/loss & worth of business at the end of the year
Accountants: qualified professionals that keep accurate & produce final accounts
Profit: Surplus after total cost have been subtracted from sales revenue (Sales – Cost)
 Importance: rewards risk taking/enterprise, source of finance, attract investors
 How to Increase: increase sales (increase selling price/units sold), cut cost
 Profit vs Cash: business make profit but not paid yet, so no cash (sell on credit)
Income Statement: document that shows revenue & expenses over a period of time
 Importance: shows profit/loss, compare with previous years/other companies
 Uses: check cost rise/fall
Components of an Income Statement:
 Gross Profit: Sales Revenue – Cost of Sales
 Sales Revenue: selling price per unit x quantity sold
 Cost of Sales: cost per unit x quantity sold
 Net Profit: Gross Profit – Expenses (fixed cost)
 Depreciation: fall in value of non-current assets over time
 Retained Profit: Net Profit – Corporate Tax - Dividends
 Dividends: annual payments from company to owners

Chapter 24: Balance Sheet



Balance sheet: shows value of a business’s assets & liability at a given point of time
 Shows: value of business rise/fall, liquidity of business to pay short term debts
 Analyse: how expansion is paid for, business performance using ratios
Components of a Balance Sheet:
 Assets: items of value owned by a business
 Current: used within 1 year (e
...
inventory, cash, trade receivables)
 Non-Current: for more than 1 year (e
...
buildings, vehicles, equipment)
 Liabilities: Debts owed by a business
 Current: repaid within 1 year (e
...
trade payables, overdraft)
 Non-Current: for more than 1 year (e
...
bank loan, debentures)
 Owner’s Equity: Total Assets – Total Liabilities
 Owner’s Equity = Share Capital + Retained Profits

Chapter 25: Analysis of Accounts






Use of Accounts:
 Manager: make decisions, identify which part is perming well/poor, compare ratios
 Shareholders: profit/loss made, dividends, check ratios before deciding to invest
 Banks/Trade Payables: liquidity, whether company is able to pay back
 Government: profit/loss, how much tax to charge, loss of jobs
 Workers: whether company is secure
 Competitors: compare company performance with their own
Liquidity: ability of a business to pay back its short-term debts (current liabilities)
 Illiquid: assets are not easily convertible into cash
Capital Employed: non-current liabilities + owner’s equity
Ratio Analysis of Accounts
Profitability Ratios
Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)
𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐄 =

x 100

Gross Profit Margin
𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 =

x 100

Net Profit Margin
𝐍𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 =



x 100

Liquidity Ratios
Gearing Ratio
𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨 =

x 100

Current Ratio (ideally 1
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Title: IGCSE Business Studies
Description: These are comprehensive and concise IGCSE Business Studies Notes I used these notes as my main study preparation and they have been formatted to facilitate easy navigation and quick learning of the essential concepts. The notes are extremely well structured and can be relied on for study in closed or open book exams. The notes are exam focused material designed to anticipate the sorts of exam questions thereby ensuring that the student only focuses on knowing what is required to do well on the exam Topics covered in these notes include: 1.) Understanding business activity This section introduces the underlying ideas and concepts of business and includes the purpose and nature of business activity and how businesses can be classified. Enterprise and entrepreneurs, and why some businesses grow while others remain small are further important issues. How business size can be measured, types of business organisation, business objectives and stakeholder objectives are the concluding topics. 2.) People in business The focus is the functional area of human resources and includes the importance and methods of motivating a workforce. How businesses are organised and managed and the methods of recruitment, selection and training of employees are also considered. Finally, the section covers the importance and methods of effective internal and external communication. 3.) Marketing This section includes the role of marketing, the distinctions between niche and mass markets and the techniques of market segmentation. The methods and importance of market research are covered. The central role of the marketing mix, i.e. the four Ps, is made clear. Marketing strategies to influence consumer decisions at home and in new foreign markets are the final topics in this section. 4.) Operations Management The focus is the functional area of production and includes the meaning and methods of production and how productivity can be increased. The different costs of production and break-even analysis are covered. The section concludes with the importance and methods of achieving quality in the production process and location decisions of businesses. 5.) Financial information and decisions This finance and accounting section covers the need for and sources of business finance, cash-flow forecasting and working capital. Simple income statements are covered as well as statements of financial position and the analysis of accounts including why and how accounts are used. 6.) External influences on business activity This section focuses on different external influences on business activity and how these impact on a business. It includes government influences on economic, environmental and ethical issues and how they impact on the functional areas of businesses. In addition, the international economy including globalisation and its effects on businesses and governments, multinational businesses and exchange rates are important issues. Legal constraints are an external influence to be considered but these influences are covered in the relevant functional areas above, as well as in this last section. Using these notes, I was able to achieve an A* in my IGCSE Business Studies with a Percentage Uniform Mark of 92%. I hope that you can use these notes as effective as I did. Good Luck!