5.3.4
Factors for Financing
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The Best Sources and Methods of Financing
Lots of different factors affect what is the best source of financing for a business:

New vs established business
- A business' size and track record can affect the availability and cost of finance.
- New businesses are likely to find it harder to get loans from a bank but can take advantage of hire purchases and trade credit.
- Established businesses are also much more likely to be larger and therefore require larger investments.
- External sources of finance are preferred when the size of the investment is large as internal sources of finance are often limited.

Financial situation
- Whether a business is in a good financial situation can impact the availability and cost of finance.
- A business that is struggling may not be able to get loans as it is much more likely that they won’t pay them back. Even if they are able to get loans, these loans will have much higher interest payments.
- A business that is struggling is also less likely to be able to use internal sources of finance.

Long-term vs short-term
- The length of time that finance is needed for affects which type of finance is best.
- Trade credits are an example of short-term finance. A supplier is likely to only give the business an extension of a few days or weeks.
- Bank loans and mortgages are a long term source of finance and may only be paid back in full after 20 years.

Cost
- External financing tends to be more expensive because a business normally has to pay interest on external financing.
1What is Business?
1.1Nature & Purpose of Business
1.2Different Business Forms
1.3Businesses Operate Within an External Environment
2Managers, Leadership & Decision Making
2.1Management, Leadership & Decision Making
2.2Management Decision Making
2.3Role & Importance of Stakeholders
3Marketing Management
3.1Setting Marketing Objectives
3.2Understanding Markets & Customers
3.3Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning
3.4Using the Marketing Mix
3.4.1Marketing Mix3.4.2Pricing Decisions & Price Skimming3.4.3Pricing Decisions & Price Penetration3.4.4Promotional Decisions3.4.5Promotional Decisions 23.4.6Promotional Decisions 33.4.7Distribution Decisions3.4.8Distribution Decisions 23.4.9Social Media & Influencers3.4.10Digital Marketing3.4.11Evaluating Digital Marketing3.4.12A-A* (AO3/4) - The Marketing Mix & Promotion3.4.13A-A* (AO3/4) - Pricing & Competition
4Operational Management
4.1Setting Operational Objectives
4.2Analysing Operational Performance
4.3Increasing Efficiency & Productivity
4.4Improving Quality
4.5Managing Inventory & Supply Chains
4.6Business & The External Environment
5Financial Management
5.1Setting Financial Objectives
5.2Analysing Financial Performance
5.3Sources of Finance
5.4Improving Cash Flow & Profits
6Human Resource Management
6.1Setting Human Resource Objectives
6.2Analysing Human Resource Performance
6.3Improving Org Design & Human Resource Flow
6.4Improving Motivation & Engagement
6.5Improving Employer-Employee Relations
7Strategic Position of a Business (A Level Only)
7.1Mission, Objectives, Strategy
7.2Financial Ratio Analysis
7.3Assessing Overall Performance
7.4Assessing Political & Legal Change
7.5Assessing Economic Change
7.6Assessing Social & Technological Change
7.7The Competitive Environment
7.8Investment Appraisal
8Choosing Strategic Direction (A Level Only)
8.1Markets to Compete & Products to Offer
8.2How to Compete
9Pursuing Strategies (A Level Only)
9.1Assessing a Change in Scale
9.2Assessing Innovation
9.3Globalisation & Internationalisation
9.4Greater Use of Digital Technology
10Managing Strategic Change
10.1Managing Change
10.2Managing Organisational Culture
10.3Managing Strategic Implementation
10.4Problems with Strategy & Why They Fail
Jump to other topics
1What is Business?
1.1Nature & Purpose of Business
1.2Different Business Forms
1.3Businesses Operate Within an External Environment
2Managers, Leadership & Decision Making
2.1Management, Leadership & Decision Making
2.2Management Decision Making
2.3Role & Importance of Stakeholders
3Marketing Management
3.1Setting Marketing Objectives
3.2Understanding Markets & Customers
3.3Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning
3.4Using the Marketing Mix
3.4.1Marketing Mix3.4.2Pricing Decisions & Price Skimming3.4.3Pricing Decisions & Price Penetration3.4.4Promotional Decisions3.4.5Promotional Decisions 23.4.6Promotional Decisions 33.4.7Distribution Decisions3.4.8Distribution Decisions 23.4.9Social Media & Influencers3.4.10Digital Marketing3.4.11Evaluating Digital Marketing3.4.12A-A* (AO3/4) - The Marketing Mix & Promotion3.4.13A-A* (AO3/4) - Pricing & Competition
4Operational Management
4.1Setting Operational Objectives
4.2Analysing Operational Performance
4.3Increasing Efficiency & Productivity
4.4Improving Quality
4.5Managing Inventory & Supply Chains
4.6Business & The External Environment
5Financial Management
5.1Setting Financial Objectives
5.2Analysing Financial Performance
5.3Sources of Finance
5.4Improving Cash Flow & Profits
6Human Resource Management
6.1Setting Human Resource Objectives
6.2Analysing Human Resource Performance
6.3Improving Org Design & Human Resource Flow
6.4Improving Motivation & Engagement
6.5Improving Employer-Employee Relations
7Strategic Position of a Business (A Level Only)
7.1Mission, Objectives, Strategy
7.2Financial Ratio Analysis
7.3Assessing Overall Performance
7.4Assessing Political & Legal Change
7.5Assessing Economic Change
7.6Assessing Social & Technological Change
7.7The Competitive Environment
7.8Investment Appraisal
8Choosing Strategic Direction (A Level Only)
8.1Markets to Compete & Products to Offer
8.2How to Compete
9Pursuing Strategies (A Level Only)
9.1Assessing a Change in Scale
9.2Assessing Innovation
9.3Globalisation & Internationalisation
9.4Greater Use of Digital Technology
10Managing Strategic Change
10.1Managing Change
10.2Managing Organisational Culture
10.3Managing Strategic Implementation
10.4Problems with Strategy & Why They Fail
Practice questions on Factors for Financing
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1How do struggling businesses source finance?True / false
- 2Which of the following is a short-term source of finance?Multiple choice
- 3
- 4
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