Course Highlights
Course Title: Financial Management for Small Business
Course Description: This course addresses the practices and issues of small business financial
management, including the study of financial records, control, and statements. Issues of personal financial management will be covered.
Required Textbook:
SMALL FIRM FINANCE--AN ENTREPRENEURIAL ANALYSIS, Osteryoung, Newman, and Davies, 1997, Harcourt Brace College Publishers, ISBN: 0030982200
Course Length: 6 weeks Credit Value: 4.0
Course Sequence: This course is an elective in the BBA program. The foundation and core finance and general business courses provide prerequisite knowledge for students who are taking this course. Students should have taken all core courses and the foundation finance, economics, and accounting courses before enrolling in this course.
Students need college level writing, reading, computation, analytical and communication skills to be able to complete this course.
Course Competencies:
1. Discuss the fundamental differences between the larger and the smaller firm in the context of its financial management.
• Define the small firm and its organizational types
• Identify key differences between a large and a small firm
• Define financial management in a small firm
• Identify the potential sources of funding with each organizational type
• Identify the record keeping aspects of financial management for the small business
2. Describe the nature of the income statement, the balance sheet, and the accounting process by considering the accounting conventions and the nature of financial statements that focus on cash flows.
• Identify the key balance sheet lines that have the highest impact on small businesses
• Identify the key income statement lines that have the highest impact on small businesses
• Describe a healthy balance sheet and income statement
• Explain how the key lines can be managed and which lines are less controllable
3. Explain how accounting generated information can be used to determine the performance of the business through the examination of critical relationships disclosed in the financial reports of the business.
• Describe the relationship between financial statements
• Analyze a business by using financial statements and liquidity, efficiency, leverage and profitability
ratios
4. Describe the process of financial planning and the notion of risk.
• Identify the key aspects of financial planning
• Explain the key aspects of risk and how they relate to small businesses
• Describe the purpose for planning and the fallacies in the process
• Describe the process for improving planning procedures and techniques
5. Discuss the working capital policies of the small firm that are critical to its survival.
• Explain the concept of opportunity costs and how it relates to small business
• Measure liquidity and identify the circumstances under which each liquidity measure would be useful
6. Explain the elements of capital budgeting including the cash flow forecast and the choice of a discount rate.
• Identify the important criteria in evaluating a project in the capital budgeting process
• Explain how the concept of opportunity costs relates to capital budgeting
• Identify the steps in the capital budgeting process
• Explain the concept of time value of money in evaluating a capital project, including the discount
rate
• Describe the aspects of cash flows that relate to capital budgeting
7. Apply the concepts of project evaluation in the context of the small firm.
• Describe the role of the financial professional in the capital budgeting process
• Identify the role of a small business owner in the capital budgeting process
• Analyze a lease vs. purchase decision
8. Explain how the small firm is funded and the nature of its capital structure.
• Identify the equity sources of funds available for small business
• Describe the impact of the equity sources on the small business owner
• Identify the debt sources of funds available for small business
• Describe the impact of the debt sources on the small business owner
• Identify the priority of funds available for small business
9. Describe the methodology involved in the valuation of the small firm.
• Identify the challenges associated with valuing the small business
• Explain the asset based and income based methods of valuing a small business
• Identify the appropriate method for valuing a business
• Identify the options available when outsourcing the valuation
10. Appreciate the place of the small firm in the international environment.
• Identify the opportunities for the small business in an increasingly global economy
• Describe the advantages of international presence to a small business
• Describe the risks for the small business associated with international trade
• Analyze the options available for the small business in the foreign exchange market
11. Discuss the nature of franchising and its role in the financing of the business.
• Describe franchising as a financing option for a small business
• Describe advantages of franchising over other sources of financing
• Describe elements of a good franchise
12. Explain the sources of new equity funding and the problems face by the owners of the small firm with respect to harvest and succession issues.
• Describe the types of venture capitalists and the way to access each
• Identify the federal regulations involved in the sale of securities for small businesses
• Define the issues of harvesting the investment and the options available
• Describe succession issues as they relate to the organizational structure of the business
SUGGESTED ORDER OF CLASSROOM PRESENTATION: Below is a tentative schedule that will assure all topics are covered. Instructors may alter the weekly schedule provided they meet all course objectives. Students must be given a copy of the tentative schedule as part of the course syllabus.
WEEK TOPIC
1 Introduction to Small Firms Small firm vs. Large firm
Financial Statements: Balance Sheet Financial Statements Income Statement 2 Financial Statements Conventions
Cash Flow Performance Analysis Financial Statements Analysis
Financial Planning
Risk in Small Business
3 Opportunity Costs in Small Business Working Capital Policy
Liquidity Measures
Long-Term Asset Decisions 4 Financial Investment Evaluation: Techniques
Capital Budgeting: Differing Perspectives Funding Options: Equity and Debt Funding
5 Business Valuation
Financial Aspects of International Trade Small Business in International Environment 6 Financing Small Business: Franchising
Venture Capitalists
Federal Regulations
Harvesting and Succession
Course Project: (Final Project) You will create a business plan for a small business that you choose. A business plan is an important planning and strategy document for any company. By completing it, you will demonstrate that you can apply the concepts of this course to another scenario. The project deliverable should be of professional quality and suitable for your portfolio. It will be developed through the weeks and will include the following:
⇒ organizational style for your business
⇒ pro forma financial statements and capital required for each of the next 5 years
⇒ sources of funding and justification for that funding
⇒ break even analyses
⇒ at least one major capital expenditure
⇒ potential franchise opportunities
⇒ marketing reach (domestic only or also international)
Also document all resources that you might use during the start up years of your small business. For example, the Small Business Association is a good resource and most states have resources for small business owners in their states.
As the course progresses, you may feel the need to reconsider a decision you made earlier. Please feel free to do this at any point. The instructor will be looking for this as a signal that you are applying all your new knowledge. Just be sure to document any changes and justify them in a Summary of Changes at the beginning of the document each week.
Sample Discussion Questions
In 2003, Jane’s debt-to-assets ratio was .66. In her planning process, she estimated her debt-to-assets ratio for 2003 would be .42. In 2004, Jane estimated her debt-to-assets ratio would be .66, but it was actually .72. Draw conclusions about her planning process and make recommendations for the next year.
Opportunity costs are not usually quantifiable. Do you think that they should have a place in the working capital or capital expenditure processes? Why or why not? If you were to suggest a way to quantify opportunity costs, what would it be?
Time Value of Money
The Main Street Car Wash owners, Stan and Marge Burkes, have analyzed a potential capital acquisition of new and improved car vacuums and have decided to purchase them. They are pleased that their investment of $10,000 should produce increased cash flows of $2,100 each year for the next 5 years. However, the Burkes’ realized that the cash flow figures were not adjusted for the time value of money. Ultimately, will they be pleased with their purchase? Why or why not? What questions should the Burkes’ ask when reviewing a capital purchase analysis?
Lease vs. Buy Decision
You need to buy 20 computer desktops for your expanding business. You have the option of leasing the equipment for four years at $5,000 per year or buying the equipment for $1,000 per unit. Calculate the total costs for both options. What is the best option and why?
Sample Lecture
In this week we’ll define small businesses and their types, and the differences between small and large businesses. Then we’ll begin our discussion on financial management of a small business and learn about analyzing financial statements. Let’s begin exploring the financial world of small businesses.
What is a Small Business
There is no single precise definition of small businesses. As small businesses have evolved various experts have tried to aptly define small businesses. Yet you can understand a small business if you consider the example any small business in your neighborhood, maybe your hairdresser. Identify various distinguishing characteristics of the shop and you can define a small business!
Small businesses can be basically defined based on their size of operations, ownership, number of employees, and even the objective for running the business. Though there are several expert definitions of small businesses, it is important to understand a small business from the government’s perspective because of the importance of the role small businesses play in the economy.
According to the Small Business Act a small business is "one that is independently owned and operated and which is not dominant in its field of operation."
The law also recognizes industry differences and states that the definition of a small business will depend on the industry where it functions. For example a manufacturing firm with 500 employees is deemed as a small business and a property and casualty insurance carrier with 1,500 employees is also recognized as a small business. You can visit http://www.sba.gov/size/ to know more about the criteria that determines if a business is recognized as a small business.
It is important to know the definition of small business stated in the Small Business Act because this definition is the basis for all government policies for small business. Also all statistics and studies of small businesses are based on this definition. The federal government has appointed the Small Business Administration (SBA) to work in conjunction with the Department of Commerce to counsel and assist small business owners and protect their interests. Only small businesses recognized by SBA are eligible for their programs. Therefore knowing the definition is important to identify which business qualifies as a small business.
Types of Small Businesses
Some businesses are owned by an individual while others are owned by several people. Because a
business can’t be “one size fits all” there are different types of ownership of a small business. Each business owner chooses the type of ownership that fits his or her circumstances the best. Based on ownership, a small business can be:
• Partnership: Form of ownership with two or more owners
• Corporation: Form of ownership with a single owner or a group of owners where the business is a legal entity separate from its owners
• Limited Liability Companies: A mix of partnership and corporation
Let’s take the example of an owner who wants to limit his or her personal liability and create a business that continues beyond his or her lifetime. This business owner may choose to incorporate.
You’ll read more about each type in your textbook. Please visit the Small Business Administration website to know about each type and their advantages and disadvantages.
