The Small Business Financial Glossary

Plain-English definitions for the bookkeeping and accounting terms every entrepreneur needs to know.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Accounting

Accounting Cycle

Accounting Equation

Accounting Principles

Accounting Software

Accounts Payable

Accounts Receivable

Accrual Accounting

Accrued Expenses

Accrued Revenue

Accumulated Depreciation

Adjusting Entries

Amortization

Asset Impairment

Asset Tracking

Asset Turnover Ratio

Assets

Audit Protection

B

Bad Debt Expense

Balance Sheet

Bill Pay

Book Value

Bookkeeper

Bookkeeping

Bottom Line

Break Even Point

Budget Planning

Burn Rate

Business Expenses

Business Use of Personal Property

C

Capital Budgeting

Capital Expenditure

Cash Accounting

Cash Flow

Cash Flow Analysis

Cash Flow Cycle

Cash Flow Management

Cash Flow Statement

Cash Inflow

Cash Outflow

Cash Ratio

Catch Up Bookkeeping

Chart of Accounts

Cloud Computing

Consulting

Contribution Margin

Cost Accounting

Cost Behavior

Cost Control

Cost of Goods Sold

Cost of Labor

Cost Principle

Cost Structure

Cost Volume Profit (CVP) Analysis

Costs

Current Ratio

Customer Relationship Management

D

Days Sales Outstanding

Debits and Credits

Debt

Debt Ratio

Debt to Equity Ratio

Deferred Expense

Deferred Revenue

Depreciation

Direct Costs

Dividend

Double Entry Bookkeeping

E

EBITDA

Efficiency Ratios

Enterprise Resource Planning

Equity

Excise Tax

Expansion Planning

Expense Tracking

Expenses

F

Fiduciary

Financial Accounting

Financial Advisor

Financial Literacy

Financial Planner

Financial Planning

Financial Ratios

Financial Statement Analysis

Financial Statements

Fixed Assets

Fixed Costs

Free on Board

G

General Ledger

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Gross Margin

Gross Profit

Gross Profit Margin

Gross Vs Net

H

Hidden Taxes

High-Low Method

Home Office

Home Office Expense

Horizontal Analysis

I

Income

Income Statement

Indirect Costs

Indirect Tax

Insurance Premium

Intangible Asset

Interest Coverage Ratio

Interest Expense

Inventor - Days Sales of Inventory

Inventory

Inventory - Economic Order Quantity

Inventory - FIFO

Inventory - Goods-In-Process

Inventory - Inventory Control

Inventory - Inventory Control System

Inventory - Inventory Management

Inventory - Inventory Turnover

Inventory - Just-in-Time

Inventory - Last-In, First Out

Inventory - Raw Materials

Inventory - Valuation Methods

Inventory - Weighted-Average Method

Inventory - Work in Process

Inventory - Work in Process vs Work in Progress

Inventory - Work in Progress

Invoice

Itemized Deduction

J

Joint and Several Liability

Joint Tenancy

Joint Venture

Journal

Journal Entry

JTWROS

K

Keogh Plan

Key Performance Indicators

Key Person Insurance

Kickback

Knowledge Capital

L

Law of Supply and Demand

Letter of Intent

Leverage Ratios

Liability

Liability Insurance

Limited Liability Company

Limited Liability Partnership

Limited Partnership

Line of Credit

Liquidation

Liquidity

Liquidity Ratios

Loan Preparation

Loan-to-Value

Loss

M

Managerial Accounting

Marginal Tax Rate

Matching Principle

Mixed Costs

Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System

Modified Accrual Accounting

Modified Cash-Basis

Moratorium

N

Net Income

Net Operating Income

Net Present Value

Net Profit

Net Profit Margin

Notes Payable

O

Operating Costs

Operating Cycle

Operating Expenses

Operating Income

Operating Leverage

Operating Profit

Operating Profit Margin

Original Cost

Overhead Costs

P

Payroll

Payroll Tax

Perceived Value

Performance Ratios

Period Costs

Price Ceiling

Pricing Strategies

Pricing Strategies - Competitive Pricing

Pricing Strategies - Cost-Plus Pricing

Pricing Strategies - Economy Pricing

Pricing Strategies - Penetration Pricing

Pricing Strategies - Premium Pricing

Pricing Strategies - Price Skimming

Pricing Strategies - Value-Based Pricing

Profit

Profit & Loss Statement

Profit Margin

Profitability

Profitability Ratios

Q

Qualified Dividends

Qualifying Ratios

Quick Assets

Quick Ratio

R

Receipt

Receivables Turnover Ratio

Retained Earnings

Return on Assets

Return on Equity

Return on Investment

Revenue

Revenue Recognition Principle

Risk Management

S

Sales

Sales Tax

Sales Volume

Salvage Value

SecureDocs

Shareholder

Shareholder Equity

Software as a Service

Solvency

Solvency Ratios

Standard Costs

Standard Deduction

Supply Chain

Supply Chain Management

Sweat Equity

T

Tangible Asset

Tariff

Tax Compliance

Taxable Income

Tenancy in Common

Total Debt-to-Total Assets

Trial Balance

Turn Key

U

Underwriter

Underwriting

Uniform Commercial Code

Uniform Commercial Code-1

Use Tax

Useful Life

V

Valuation

Variable Costs

Variance Analysis

Venture Capital

Venture Capitalist

Vertical Analysis

Voluntary Lien

W

W-2 Form

Wealth Protection

Withholding Allowance

Withholding Tax

Working Capital

Working Capital Loan

Write Off

Y

Year to date

Year-Over-Year

Z

Zero Balance Account

Zero-Based Budgeting

Zoning Ordinance

↑ Return to Top