Revenue recognisinsation

The criteria for revenue recognition based on existing accounting rules, companies should not recognize revenue until it is realized or realizable and earned. Specifically, transactions must meet the following criteria before revenue is recognized: There is persuasive evidence of an arrangement. Delivery has occurred or services have been rendered. The sellers price to the buyer is fixed or determinable. Collectability is reasonably assured. While these criteria are general, they provide guidance for revenue recognition relating to most traditional business models. For companies that do not employ traditional business models, such as ecommerce companies and companies with a large percentage of Internet transactions, however, additional guidance on these revenue recognition issues are : Timing of approval for sales agreements. Side arrangements to the master contract. Consignment/financing arrangements. Criteria for delivery (bill and hold sale). Layaway programs. Nonrefundable, up-front fees. Cancellation or termination provisions. Membership fees/services. Contingent rental income. Right of return. SAB 101 also requires disclosure of revenue recognition policies under APB Opinion no. 22,Disclosure of Accounting Policies. For example, companies should disclose changes in estimated product returns in financial statements if material, and the management discussion and analysis section (MD&A) should note the following: A favorable or unfavorable material effect on revenue. The relationship between revenue and costs of revenue. Analysis of reasons and factors for an increase or decrease in revenue.

Process of improving profit margin %

All stores need to manage inventory, costs and expenses. This means knowing how to run your business from the top to the bottom. To help you compete in today's competitive business environment, here are some tips, tactics, and ideas to use to become a more profitable retailer. 1 Implement a computerized system to manage, control, and balance your inventory. 2 Make your business distinctive and carry merchandise your competitors don't have 3 Price merchandise at what the customer is willing to spend, not on what it costs. 4 Focus on buying more named brand promotional and off-price merchandise. 5 Make a budget and follow a detailed open-to-buy plan to eliminate overbuying. 6 Seek out manufacturers to purchase merchandise at below wholesale prices. 7 Test different aspects to promote business: -- new offers -- new items -- new prices. 8 Identify vendor performance regarding sales, mark-up, turnover, and profits. 9 Don't accept deliveries you can't use, or arrive after the specified completion dates. 10 Use sales forecasts, expense sheets, and financial statements on regular basis. 11 Computerize your business to streamline everyday tasks and business procedures. 12 Develop a tracking system for those products that are your best-sellers. 13 Buy closer to the selling season to minimize the risk of making a bad buy. 14 Attend trade shows and join buying groups to find better values. 15 Seek suggestions from vendors on ways you can boost business. 16 Use a store questionnaire to aid you in determining customers' wants and needs. 17 Negotiate with your vendors to obtain better prices and faster deliveries. 18 Ask your main vendors to share in paying freight costs. 19 Inquire if your suppliers will help with co-op advertising. 20 Consider adding private label merchandise to establish better margins. 21 Create an initial pricing strategy for special value and off-price products. 22 Evaluate your open-to-buy and expenses on a regular basis. 23 Establish a flexible buying plan that allows for special in-season purchases. 24 Replace fringe, non-compelling, and borderline inventory classifications. 25 Use toll-free telephone numbers for reorders and communication with venders. 26 Develop a timely markdown strategy to dispose of out-of-season inventory. 27 Avoid shortages of your most popular and profitable classifications. 28 Implement a reorder strategy for your best-selling items. 29 Promptly return substandard and problem merchandise. 30 Ask for invoice extensions and take trade discounts allowed for timely payments. 31 Offer customers better prices, more values, wider selections, and add-ons. 32 Specify delivery and completion deadlines for all initial orders and future reorders. 33 Display merchandise to make it easier for customers to see, feel, touch, and buy. 34 Look for new opportunities to increase prices on items your competitors don't carry. 35 Insist on credits or adjustments for late deliveries and substituted orders. 36 Bargain for exclusive rights and products that will not be sold to the competition.

37 Ask for markdown money for excessive or unreasonable in-season selling losses. 38 Eliminate excessive stock in slow-moving and unprofitable categories. 39 Adjust your stock on hand with estimated sales projections and customers needs. 40 Pay attention to your monthly overhead and business expenses ratios.

Process to Improve Cash Flow

1. Perform a Good Forecast The first step is to get a good grip on where you cash flow currently stands and where it is likely to go in the future. Quite often small and mid-sized businesses aren't prepared for all the costs associated with growing quickly. More sales could mean more employees and a bigger inventory. That's money going out upfront. But when will it come back? "Too many companies get blindsided by unfavorable movements in cash flow that are predictable if they really sat down and thought through it," says Paul LaRock, a principal at consultancy Treasury Strategies in Chicago. The forecast could be as simple as paper and pencil for the smallest company, but others will want to put together a more formal cash flow projection. A rolling 12-month forecast is the best practice for most companies. If you start mapping things out week by week, you'll see where to expect surges in expenses ahead of your big sales season and where several payments might come due all at once. Dig Deeper: Plug Those Cash-Flow Leaks 2. Evaluate Your Terms If you're having trouble with cash flow, check to see how well your customer terms and supplier terms are balanced, recommends Analisa DeHaro, an associate principal with REL. "If your average payable is 24 days and your average receivable is 47 days, that's 23 days that you have to float, which means you have to go out and get working capital," she says. You'll want to look at the terms you're offering to customers and evaluate if they work for you and how your customers are performing to those terms. With suppliers, you want to see how their terms stack up against others in the marketplace. You might also discover that you're missing out on a discount if you were to pay even earlier. That might run counter to your goal of shortening that receivables-payables gap, but the money involved might be worth it. Dig Deeper: How to Set Up Accounts Receivable

3. Enforce Payment Discipline In order to shorten your receivables period, you'll need to have a good collection system in place. DeHaro says you should ask yourself: How long is it taking to get paid? What is your collections activity? Are you getting the right level of contact with your customers? Are you identifying disputes fast enough? When you identify disputes, what is your policy for getting them resolved? Keep in mind that these are not only ways to improve how quickly you get paid, but your customer service as well. "If you buy something and something is wrong with the invoice, and it takes them a long time to resolve it, it makes you have a little angst and make them seem more difficult to work with," DeHaro observes. And keeping on top of your problem children payers isn't just about looking at the 90-days outstanding column in your account receivables, but even your 61-days and 31-days column, says LaRock. "You can't let things ride the extra few weeks like you could in a healthy economy," he says. Enforcing payment discipline should also be part of your payables operations. A sloppy AP department might miss out on discounts and habitually paying late could hurt you the next time a contract comes up for renewal. By paying on time, you can build a relationship and negotiate for future discounts or payment terms better suited to your business cycle. Dig Deeper: Tips on Streamlining Accounts Payable 4. Segment Your Customers, Suppliers and Inventory You probably won't get too far if you try to tackle your cash flow as a whole. You're better off segmenting suppliers, customers and inventory. When looking at your inventory, you want to observe the volatility of sales. Do you have too much cash tied up in products that sell only sporadically? Would that money be better off used in your "bread and butter" items that turnover more quickly? "You might end up having tons of money tied up in inventory without actually meeting your customers' needs," says DeHaro. When breaking down your suppliers, you want to separate them into your regular suppliers versus your one-off buys. With your strategic suppliers, you'll have a better chance of negotiating better terms and discounts.

Perhaps most importantly, you should take a close look at your customers. Who really is a "key customer?" Just because your sales department thinks they're important i.e. they generate a lot of revenue that doesn't mean it's a profitable account. Norm Brodsky wrote last year about one business whose biggest account was actually a big money loser, ultimately adding to its cash flow woes. The solution isn't necessarily to cut that account, but to approach the customer with the situation. You might also find that your biggest customers are your worst payers. You'll want to put together a strategy on how to approach them. If a customer typically pays in 60 days, you should gently reach out to it after 30. Additionally, there might be a good reason why the client ends up paying so late, like frequent disputes on invoices. "Once you identify the problem, you can fix it and present a better service to your client," DeHaro says. Dig Deeper: How to Get Customers to Pay Upfront 5. Make it a Companywide Priority If improving cash flow is a priority, make sure all of your employees understand that. Remember that your employees will be motivated by the targets you set for them. Obviously, collectors should have collection targets. But even your sales staff should be on board. If a salesperson only has a revenue goal, he or she will work to meet it, regardless of whether the invoices are paid on time or in full. Instead, institute a policy where, if something is written off, the revenue is backed out of commissions. "If employees have a target, that's what they focus on," DeHaro says. "Make sure management teams support working capital objectives."

Measures to Improve Working Capital Management

1. The essence of effective working capital management is proper cash flow forecasting. This should take into account the impact of unforeseen events, market cycles, loss of a prime customer, and actions by competitors. The effect of unforeseen demands on working capital should be factored in. 2. It pays to have contingency plans to tide over unexpected events. While market leaders can manage uncertainty better, other companies must have risk management procedures. These must be based on an objective and realistic view of the role of working capital. 3. Addressing the issue of working capital on a corporate-wide basis has certain advantages. Cash generated at one location can well be utilized at another. For this to happen, information access, efficient banking channels, good linkages between production and billing, internal systems to move cash and good treasury practices should be in place. 4. An innovative approach, combining operational and financial skills and an all encompassing view of the company's operations will help in identifying and implementing strategies that generate short term cash. This can be achieved by having the right set of executives who are responsible for setting targets and performance levels. They are then held accountable for delivering. They are also encouraged to be enterprising and to act as change agents.

5. Effective dispute management procedures in relation to customers will go along way in freeing up cash otherwise locked in due to disputes. It will also improve customer service and free up time for legitimate activities like sales, order entry, and cash collection. Overall, efficiency will increase due to reduced operating costs. 6. Collaborating with your customers instead of being focused only on your own operations will also yield good results. If feasible, helping them to plan their inventory requirements efficiently to match your production with their consumption will help reduce inventory levels. This can be done with suppliers also. Working capital management is an important yardstick to measure a company's operational and financial efficiency. This aspect must form part of the company's strategic and operational thinking. Efforts should constantly be made to improve the working capital position. This will yield greater efficiency and improve customer satisfaction.