Cash Inflows and Outflows, an Indicator of Solvency
Cash flow is the movement of capital due to investment, normal business operations, or financing. Inflows are money received by a company or organization as a result of its financial activities, investments, sales, and income. Outflows refer to the opposite – money paid to suppliers, banks, and other parties. In financial statements, these reflect the amount of money a company has received and paid within a given period of time.
Importance for Financial Health
Cash flows are important for solvency which reflects the ability of a company to pay suppliers and lenders, create, market, and distribute products, and generate profits. Solvency is the extent to which the assets of a company or organization exceed their outstanding balances and liabilities. Controlling in- and outflows is important for businesses because it helps them to avoid losses.
Types of Income and Expenses
Companies pay for costs such as electricity, labor, transportation, advertising, and raw materials. Businesses have different expenses to meet, including start-up, inventory, capital, and operating expenses. Capital expenses include the costs for buying equipment, office supplies, vehicles, office furniture, machinery and equipment, and others. Inventory costs are also considered outflows. These include expenses such as storage and tracking costs, insurance, and taxes. In addition, businesses have operating expenses that result from their normal operations. Examples include maintenance, repair, and fuel expenses. Companies pay for utilities and supplies and have rent and travel expenses. Start-up expenses are also in the category of cash outflows. They include costs for researching different services, products, and markets, and costs for raising capital, attracting customers, and building a network of retailers and suppliers. Other costs include attorney, accounting, and license and patent fees.
Income and revenues are considered inflows. There are different types of income and revenues, including contingent income, interest revenue, sales revenue, and service provision and lease revenue. Contingent income is income that depends on other parties. One example is a retailer that advertises a specific brand of refrigerator or washing machine. If the producer discontinues production, the retailer would go out of business. Another example is a producer of a specific brand of oven that sells its produce to a specific customer. If the buyer or client becomes insolvent or goes out of business, the producer would be forced to close down as well. Revenue also comes in the form of lease and service provision revenue. The former covers a large variety of items that can be leased, from vehicles and buildings to stock. Service provision revenue is another category and is common for companies that offer services. Companies offer a host of different services, from domestic cleaning and carpentry to gardening and roofing services. Interest and sales revenue are also cash inflows. Interest revenue comes in the form of money kept in business bank and savings accounts. Sales revenue is the most common type, regardless of whether businesses sell products or services. It can come from the sale of major appliances, vehicles, and machinery or products such as pastries and candies.
Positive and Negative Cash Flows
Companies with positive cash flows earn more money than they spend. This means that they are able to pay to lenders and suppliers in a timely manner. Negative cash flows mean that the company’s spending exceeds its revenue. Businesses may have to borrow money in order to pay to suppliers and employees. Companies with liquid assets can sell them to cover the shortfall. Examples of liquid assets include cash, certificates of deposit, mutual funds, bonds, and money market fund shares. In this scenario, money kept in savings deposits is also considered fairly liquid. Companies that have mostly illiquid assets are unable to sell them quickly to cover their expenses. Examples of such assets are ownership interest, nanocap stocks, and others. Some kinds of debt securities, real estate, and other items that are rarely traded are also considered illiquid.
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