1. Implement expense-control strategies
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Entrepreneurship I

2. Operating Expenses
A category of expenditure that a business incurs as a result of performing its normal business operations.
Examples include:
Production cost (raw materials, utilities, man hours)
Inventory (also, storage and transportation of inventory)
Salaries and Benefits
Advertising and Marketing Source:

3. Operating Expenses effects on Profit
Operational costs involve any expenses related to running your business, such as labor and office costs. Profit margin serves as the percentage of profit made from each sale. Operational expenses have a direct effect on your business' profit margin. This number tells a story of how well you controlled expenses, which can help or hurt in attracting investors and bolstering your company’s stock.
What are ways to reduce operating costs?

4. Operating Expenses effects on Profit (cont.)
Ways to reduce operating expenses
Lower labor costs by placing an emphasis on high employee performance.
Reduce waste. Order enough materials to run your business but not in excess.
Lower utility costs
Set a marketing budget
Reduce travel expenses
Purchase used equipment instead of new.

5. Operating expenses and selling prices
How would operating expenses affect selling price?
If operating expenses are high the business would be forced to charge the customer more to cover those expenses.
If operating are kept to a minimum, business can charge less, which will result in more sales.
* It is important for businesses to create a budget in order to track operating expenses and make adjustments as needed.

6. Fixed Costs
Business costs that are not affected by changes in sales volume.
Examples include: Lease, Insurance, salaries
Source:

7. Variable costs
Business costs that change according to changes in sales volume.
Examples include: Material, labor, and utilities.
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8. Semi-Variable Costs
Business costs that vary to some extent in response to sales.
An example is labor, which is fixed for 40 hours then variable as overtime is paid.
Source:

9. Gross Profit
Money left after the cost-of-goods expense is subtracted from total income.
Company A and Company B both have $1 million in sales. Company A's cost of goods sold (COGS) is $900,000 and Company B's COGS is $800,000. Company A's gross profit will be $100,000 and Company B's gross profit will be $200,000. Company B spends less money to make the same amount of sales, and is therefore more efficient. Source::

10. Break-Even Point
A company's break-even point is the amount of sales or revenues that it must generate in order to equal its expenses. In other words, it is the point at which the company neither makes a profit nor suffers a loss.
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11. Visual: Break-Even Point