Business Structures
A startup founder wants to protect her personal savings and home from business debts while still enjoying simple pass-through taxation and flexible management.
What is an LLC?
A manager lists internal strengths like brand reputation, weaknesses like poor cash reserves, opportunities in online sales, and threats from new competitors.
What is a SWOT analysis?
At the end of the quarter, the CFO reviews a report showing revenue, expenses, and net profit for the last 3 months.
What is an income statement?
A sneaker company targets teens with one campaign, runners with another, and luxury buyers with a premium product line.
What is market segmentation?
A smartphone company sells the same model it already offers in the U.S. to customers in South Africa for the first time.
What is market development?
Two friends open a landscaping company together. When the business is sued, both are equally responsible for the debt regardless of who caused the problem.
What is a general partnership / equal partner liability?
A company expanding to Brazil studies political stability, inflation, labor laws, technology access, environmental rules, and legal restrictions before entering.
What is a PESTEL analysis?
A lender checks whether a business has enough short-term assets like cash and inventory to pay upcoming bills due within 30 days.
What is the current ratio?
A company must decide whether to sell through retail stores, e-commerce, wholesalers, or direct delivery.
What is Place in the marketing mix?
An exporter sells steel overseas at prices far below what it charges domestically to quickly gain market share.
What is dumping?
An investor wants to put money into a film company but does not want to be involved in daily decisions and wants liability limited to the investment amount.
What is a limited partnership?
A bakery owner calculates exactly how many cupcakes must be sold so total revenue matches rent, wages, and ingredient costs.
What is a break-even analysis?
The accounting team prepares a document showing cash on hand, loans owed, and owner equity on December 31st only.
What is a balance sheet?
A global fast-food chain changes its menu in India to feature vegetarian options and local flavors.
What is localization?
A project manager needs a visual schedule showing which tasks must finish before the next phase begins.
What is a Gantt chart?
A growing tech company plans to raise capital from shareholders, but profits may be taxed at both the corporate and shareholder level.
What is a C Corporation?
A consultant maps how customer orders move from sales to production to shipping so delays and inefficiencies can be identified.
What is a flowchart / process mapping?
Department heads submit their projected spending on payroll, advertising, and supplies for next year.
What is a budget?
A business surveys 500 customers specifically to test reactions to a new logo before launch.
What is primary research?
A firm chooses to sell its existing software product in Germany, Japan, and Mexico without changing the core product.
What is international market development with existing products?
A family-owned company wants liability protection, the ability to issue shares to several outside investors, and continued existence even if an owner exits, while accepting taxation at both the corporate and shareholder level.
What is a C Corporation?
Before expanding internationally, executives evaluate internal capabilities, market opportunities, competitor threats, and economic risks to decide whether growth is feasible.
What is a SWOT analysis used in strategic planning?
A CFO must calculate how many annual software subscriptions must be sold to cover fixed salaries, platform costs, and customer support expenses before the company earns profit.
What is a break-even analysis?
A beauty brand sells the same moisturizer globally but changes packaging colors, slogans, and even ingredients to align with cultural preferences in each country.
What is localization?
A global launch manager needs a scheduling tool that shows task order, deadlines, and which delayed supplier task will push back the product launch date.
What is a Gantt chart with dependencies?