3.5.3

Improving Cash Flow & Profits

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Improving Cash Flow and Profit

Business may decide to focus on improving profit and profitability as part of their aims and objectives.

Objectives

Objectives

Profit and profitability can be increased by reducing expenditure on fixed and variable costs.
Profit and profitability can be increased by increasing the selling price per item.
For example, in 2015, Morrisons delayered its structure by removing department supervisors which reduced costs to increase profitability.

Challenges of improving profitability

Challenges of improving profitability

Trying to reduce expenditure on fixed and variable costs can reduce quality which may reduce sales and therefore also reduce revenue.
Increasing the selling price can deter customers from purchasing products which can decrease sales volume and market share.

Challenges of improving cash flow

Challenges of improving cash flow

Removing or reducing trade credit periods for customers can reduce customer satisfaction which may reduce sales volume and market share.
Asking suppliers to increase trade credit periods can create tension between the business and its suppliers which may result in poorer relationships and reduced dependability.
For example, a sofa store wishing to improve its cash-flow may tell customers that they need to pay within 6 months instead of 12 months and this may reduce customer satisfaction leading to customers shopping elsewhere.

1

Business Organisation & Environment

1.1

Introduction to Business Management

1.1.1Why Businesses Exist & Sectors

1.2

Types of Organisation

1.2.1Sole Traders 1.2.2Limited Liability 1.2.3Non-Profit 1.2.4Franchising 1.2.5End of Topic Test - Franchising

1.3

Organisational Objectives

1.3.1External Environments 1.3.2Business Mission & Corporate Objective 1.3.3Mission, Corporate Objectives & Strategy 1.3.4SWOT Analysis 1.3.5End of Topic Test - SWOT Analysis

1.4

Stakeholders

1.4.1Stakeholders

1.5

External Environment

1.5.1Social & Technological Environment 1.5.2Lifestyle & Technological Environment 1.5.3Corporate Social Responsibility 1.5.4Economic Environment 1.5.5Political & Legal Change

1.6

Growth & Evolution

1.6.1Growth & Retrenchment 1.6.2Challenges of Growth 1.6.3Growth Models 1.6.4End of Topic Test - Diseconomies of Scale 1.6.5Internationalisation 1.6.6Sourcing Resources & Entering Markets 1.6.7End of Topic Test - Internationalisation 1.6.8Managing Internationalisation 1.6.9Impact of Internationalisation

1.7

HL Only: Organisational Planning Tools

1.7.1Organisational Planning Tools

2

Human Resource Management

2.1

Functions & Evolution of Human Resource Management

2.1.1Setting Human Resource Objectives 2.1.2Human Resource Management 2.1.3Labour Turnover & Retention 2.1.4Labour Productivity

2.2

Organisational Structure

2.2.1Organisational Structures

2.3

Leadership & Management

2.3.1Managers 2.3.2Management Theories 2.3.3End of Topic Test - Management

2.4

Motivation

2.4.1Motivating & Engaging Employees 2.4.2Taylor's Theory 2.4.3Maslow's Theory 2.4.4Herzberg's Theory 2.4.5Different Incentives 2.4.6Evaluating Incentives

2.5

Organisational (Corporate) Culture

2.5.1Managing Organisational Culture 2.5.2Organisational Structures

2.6

HL Only: Industrial/Employee Relations

2.6.1Improving Employer-Employee Relations 2.6.2Case Study - The Winter of Discontent

3

Finance & Accounts

3.1

Sources of Finance

3.1.1Internal Sources of Finance 3.1.2External Sources of Finance 3.1.3Factors for Financing 3.1.4End of Topic Test - Debt

3.2

Costs & Revenues

3.2.1Costs & Revenues

3.3

Break-Even Analysis

3.3.1Profit 3.3.2Break-Even Analysis

3.4

Profitability & Liquidity Ratio Analysis

3.4.1Profitability Analysis

3.5

Cash Flow

3.5.1Cash Flow 3.5.2Solutions to Cash Flow Problems 3.5.3Improving Cash Flow & Profits

3.6

HL Only: Investment Appraisal

3.6.1Investment Appraisal

3.7

HL Only: Budgets

3.7.1Cash-Flow & Budgets

4

Marketing

4.1

The Role of Marketing

4.1.1Setting Marketing Objectives 4.1.2Market Calculations

4.2

Marketing Planning

4.2.1Marketing Mix 4.2.2Segmentation 4.2.3Niche & Mass Markets

4.3

Market Research

4.3.1Market Research 4.3.2Market Mapping 4.3.3Methods of Market Research

4.4

The 4 Ps

4.4.1Product Decisions 4.4.2Pricing Decisions & Price Skimming 4.4.3Pricing Decisions & Price Penetration 4.4.4End of Topic Test - Pricing & Competition 4.4.5Promotional Decisions 4.4.6Promotional Decisions 2 4.4.7Promotional Decisions 3 4.4.8Digital Marketing 4.4.9Evaluating Digital Marketing 4.4.10Case Study - The Marketing Mix & Promotion 4.4.11Place & Distribution

4.5

HL Only: The Extended Marketing Mix

4.5.1The Extended Marketing Mix

4.6

HL Only: International Marketing

4.6.1International Marketing

4.7

E-Commerce

4.7.1E-Commerce

5

Operations Management

5.1

The Role of Operations Management

5.1.1Setting Operational Objectives

5.2

Production Methods

5.2.1Production Processes Overview 5.2.2Production Processes 5.2.3Production Efficiency 5.2.4Technology & Production

5.3

HL Only: Lean Prodution & Quality Management

5.3.1Importance of Quality 5.3.2Measuring & Identifying Quality 5.3.3Total Quality Management 5.3.4Evaluating Total Quality Management 5.3.5Case Study - Toyota Production System

5.4

HL Only: Production Planning

5.4.1Capacity 5.4.2Productivity & Efficiency 5.4.3Technology & Efficiency 5.4.4Improving the Supply Chain 5.4.5Inventory 5.4.6Outsourcing

5.5

HL Only: Research & Development

5.5.1Organisational Planning Tools

Jump to other topics

1

Business Organisation & Environment

1.1

Introduction to Business Management

1.1.1Why Businesses Exist & Sectors

1.2

Types of Organisation

1.2.1Sole Traders 1.2.2Limited Liability 1.2.3Non-Profit 1.2.4Franchising 1.2.5End of Topic Test - Franchising

1.3

Organisational Objectives

1.3.1External Environments 1.3.2Business Mission & Corporate Objective 1.3.3Mission, Corporate Objectives & Strategy 1.3.4SWOT Analysis 1.3.5End of Topic Test - SWOT Analysis

1.4

Stakeholders

1.4.1Stakeholders

1.5

External Environment

1.5.1Social & Technological Environment 1.5.2Lifestyle & Technological Environment 1.5.3Corporate Social Responsibility 1.5.4Economic Environment 1.5.5Political & Legal Change

1.6

Growth & Evolution

1.6.1Growth & Retrenchment 1.6.2Challenges of Growth 1.6.3Growth Models 1.6.4End of Topic Test - Diseconomies of Scale 1.6.5Internationalisation 1.6.6Sourcing Resources & Entering Markets 1.6.7End of Topic Test - Internationalisation 1.6.8Managing Internationalisation 1.6.9Impact of Internationalisation

1.7

HL Only: Organisational Planning Tools

1.7.1Organisational Planning Tools

2

Human Resource Management

2.1

Functions & Evolution of Human Resource Management

2.1.1Setting Human Resource Objectives 2.1.2Human Resource Management 2.1.3Labour Turnover & Retention 2.1.4Labour Productivity

2.2

Organisational Structure

2.2.1Organisational Structures

2.3

Leadership & Management

2.3.1Managers 2.3.2Management Theories 2.3.3End of Topic Test - Management

2.4

Motivation

2.4.1Motivating & Engaging Employees 2.4.2Taylor's Theory 2.4.3Maslow's Theory 2.4.4Herzberg's Theory 2.4.5Different Incentives 2.4.6Evaluating Incentives

2.5

Organisational (Corporate) Culture

2.5.1Managing Organisational Culture 2.5.2Organisational Structures

2.6

HL Only: Industrial/Employee Relations

2.6.1Improving Employer-Employee Relations 2.6.2Case Study - The Winter of Discontent

3

Finance & Accounts

3.1

Sources of Finance

3.1.1Internal Sources of Finance 3.1.2External Sources of Finance 3.1.3Factors for Financing 3.1.4End of Topic Test - Debt

3.2

Costs & Revenues

3.2.1Costs & Revenues

3.3

Break-Even Analysis

3.3.1Profit 3.3.2Break-Even Analysis

3.4

Profitability & Liquidity Ratio Analysis

3.4.1Profitability Analysis

3.5

Cash Flow

3.5.1Cash Flow 3.5.2Solutions to Cash Flow Problems 3.5.3Improving Cash Flow & Profits

3.6

HL Only: Investment Appraisal

3.6.1Investment Appraisal

3.7

HL Only: Budgets

3.7.1Cash-Flow & Budgets

4

Marketing

4.1

The Role of Marketing

4.1.1Setting Marketing Objectives 4.1.2Market Calculations

4.2

Marketing Planning

4.2.1Marketing Mix 4.2.2Segmentation 4.2.3Niche & Mass Markets

4.3

Market Research

4.3.1Market Research 4.3.2Market Mapping 4.3.3Methods of Market Research

4.4

The 4 Ps

4.4.1Product Decisions 4.4.2Pricing Decisions & Price Skimming 4.4.3Pricing Decisions & Price Penetration 4.4.4End of Topic Test - Pricing & Competition 4.4.5Promotional Decisions 4.4.6Promotional Decisions 2 4.4.7Promotional Decisions 3 4.4.8Digital Marketing 4.4.9Evaluating Digital Marketing 4.4.10Case Study - The Marketing Mix & Promotion 4.4.11Place & Distribution

4.5

HL Only: The Extended Marketing Mix

4.5.1The Extended Marketing Mix

4.6

HL Only: International Marketing

4.6.1International Marketing

4.7

E-Commerce

4.7.1E-Commerce

5

Operations Management

5.1

The Role of Operations Management

5.1.1Setting Operational Objectives

5.2

Production Methods

5.2.1Production Processes Overview 5.2.2Production Processes 5.2.3Production Efficiency 5.2.4Technology & Production

5.3

HL Only: Lean Prodution & Quality Management

5.3.1Importance of Quality 5.3.2Measuring & Identifying Quality 5.3.3Total Quality Management 5.3.4Evaluating Total Quality Management 5.3.5Case Study - Toyota Production System

5.4

HL Only: Production Planning

5.4.1Capacity 5.4.2Productivity & Efficiency 5.4.3Technology & Efficiency 5.4.4Improving the Supply Chain 5.4.5Inventory 5.4.6Outsourcing

5.5

HL Only: Research & Development

5.5.1Organisational Planning Tools

Practice questions on Improving Cash Flow & Profits

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1
How is increasing the selling price per item likely to affect profit per unit sold if the price elasticity of demand is -5?Multiple choice

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Solutions to Cash Flow Problems

Investment Appraisal