Chapter 3

Capital Budgeting in a Nutshell

IN THIS CHAPTER

check Understanding the theory of capital budgeting

check Computing the rate of return on capital

check Taking the measure of liquidity

check Contemplating risk

check Relating capital budgeting to QuickBooks

The challenge for any business is allocating capital, or money. Although you have limited amounts of capital, your ideas and opportunities are often unlimited.

Capital budgeting, in a nutshell, helps you sift through all these ideas and opportunities. Capital budgeting lets you answer questions like the following: Should I replace that key piece of machinery that we use in the factory or get a new delivery truck? Should we buy the building our offices are in? Or should we purchase that competitor’s operation because it’s for sale?

Introducing the Theory of Capital Budgeting

Capital budgeting boils down to the idea that you should look at capital investments (machinery, vehicles, real estate, entire businesses, yard art, and so on) just as you look ...

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