Managerial Finance

Nicole Davis

MiniCase p.45

a. Corporate finance is important to all managers because it provides the skills managers need to identify and select the corporate strategies and individual projects that add value to the firm. It also allows them to forecast the funding requirements of their company and devise strategies for acquiring those funds. Corporate finance is a basic component of how a business is run. All managers should keep this in mind to direct funds to the optimal division or product in a company. In addition, managers should understand how their company is financed and whether it has a risk of bankruptcy. Conversely, managers should understand if the equity in the business is undervalued and has the potential to grow.

b. The organizational forms that a company may undergo as it evolves from a start-up to a major corporation are (1) sole proprietorships, (2) partnerships, and (3) corporations. In addition, several hybrid forms are gaining popularity. These hybrid forms are the limited partnership, the limited liability partnership, the professional corporation, and the s corporation.

The proprietorship has three important advantages: (1) it is easily and inexpensively formed, (2) it is subject to few government regulations, and (3) the business pays no corporate income taxes. The proprietorship also has three important limitations: (1) it is difficult for a proprietorship to obtain large sums of capital; (2) the proprietor has unlimited personal liability for the business’s debts, and (3) the life of a business organized as a proprietorship is limited to the life of the individual who created it.

The major advantage of a partnership is its low cost and ease of formation. The disadvantages are similar to those associated with proprietorships: (1) unlimited liability, (2) limited life of the organization, (3) difficulty of transferring ownership, and (4) difficulty of raising large amounts of capital. The tax...