B. Insert the correct verb forms in the following sentences.

a) A price increase by one of his suppliers______his margin from 31

per cent to 26 per cent.

b) Sales had_______ despite the recession.

c) The company's accounts_____ a 19 per cent_____ in turnover.

d) The company's accounts ____a____ in profits from 20 per cent to 7 per cent.

e) Sales could______ by 29 per cent and the company would still make a profit.

f) Now profits______ and this worried him.

g) What you've got to do is_____ your turnover!

h)______output of the Bradcap and increase your margin.

i) He had achieved this by_____ the price on his main product.

j) It'll be pretty bad especially if our overheads__(2 words) and our overall sales margin_______.

TASK 3. Choose the best verb to complete each of the sentences below.

a) The company's profitability has /got better / increased / benefited /improved.

b) The company's profits have / got better / increased / benefited /improved.

c) I'm not making enough money to /pay for / cover / absorb /finance / all my business expenses.

d) I'm not making enough money to / pay for / cover / absorb /finance / extra costs.

e) We need to / identify /pinpoint / name /find/ the products which are losing money.

f) We need to / identify /pinpoint / name / find / the cause of the problem.

g) The business needs to / create / build up /produce /generate / enough profit to pay for operating and financial costs.

h) The sales manager /set / state / gave / submitted/ the target for the next six months.

Case study

Read the following text and prepare different layouts of the balance sheet according the figures given in the passage.

In the balance sheet the fixed assets are broken down into intangibles (such as patents and goodwill, entered in the books at a value of $1.5 million) and tangible assets (such as freehold property, land and equipment, at a book value of $7.5 million).

The next heading is current assets and this is split into three: firstly stocks valued at $3.2 million, then debtors (in other words outstanding payment for goods sold) at $1.3 million, and thirdly cash at the bank, worth $350,000. The total of current assets is then reduced by the total of current liabilities, which in this case is $2.2 million and represents amounts owing to creditors, leaving a net figure of $2.65 million. Thus the total assets less the current liabilities amount to $11.65 million.

To reach the final balance this figure must be reduced by the sum of long-term liabilities such as loans and also any provisions. In this case $2.45 million is set aside for long-term loans and there is a $450,000 provision for deferred taxation. So this leaves a final balance of $8.75 million worth of net assets.

The final section of the balance sheet - capital and reserves, represents the net asset figure. This company has a share capital of $6.5 million. This sum is topped up by a share premium account, which represents the difference between the above issued share value and the actual price of the shares. In this case, the capital is further increased by $1.4 million. The company has also revalued its fixed assets to give them a more realistic market price so that the shareholders' equity increases by a further $1.15 million and an equivalent amount is charged to depreciation in the profit and loss account. Finally, $300,000 is deducted in retained profit.