MEANING
Financial Management means planning, organizing, directing and controlling the financial activities such as procurement and utilization of funds of the enterprise. It means applying general management principles to financial resources of the enterprise.
Business finance refers to money and credit employed in business. It involves procurement and utilization of funds so that business firms may be able to carry out their operations effectively and efficiently. Business finance includes all types of funds used in business.
According to B.O. Wheeler. “Finance is that business activity which is concerned with the acquisition and conservation of capital fund in meeting the financial needs and over all objectives of business enterprise”.
Scope/Elements
- Investment decisions – includes investment in fixed assets (called as capital budgeting). Investment in current assets are also a part of investment decisions called as working capital decisions.
- Financial decisions – They relate to the raising of finance from various resources which will depend upon decision on type of source, period of financing, cost of financing and the returns thereby.
- Dividend decisions – The finance manager has to take decision with regards to the net profit distribution. Net profits are generally divided into two:
- Dividend for shareholders- Dividend and the rate of it has to be decided.
- Retained profits- Amount of retained profits has to be finalized which will depend upon expansion and diversification plans of the enterprise.