The Balance Sheet is the financial statement that measures a company’s value or net worth
as of a specific date in time. It is also called the Asset and Liability (A&L) Statement. The
Balance Sheet is organized according to the fundamental accounting equation:
Assets = Liabilities + Owner Equity
Assets are resources or what a company owns.
Liabilities are debts a company owes.
Owner equity is who owns a company.
The main characteristics of a Balance Sheet are the following:
1. It measures the value or net worth of a company at a specific date in time.
2. The Fundamental Accounting Equation describes the Balance Sheet:
Assets = Liabilities + Owner Equity
3. It is divided into current and long-term accounts.
4. It has beginning balances, monthly activity, and ending balances.
5. It has monthly activity including increases and decreases.
6. The value of the asset side of the Balance Sheet must equal the value of the Liability
and Owner Equity side of the Balance Sheet.
Capitalization refers to the way a company or business obtains and uses money to start
or expand the business. It involves obtaining long-term debt or raising funds from
investors by way of paid-in capital or common stock. Working capital is the amount of
funds used by a business in its daily operations and is defined as current assets minus
current liabilities. Hospitality managers use the assets in the Balance Sheet accounts in the
daily operations of their departments.
The Statement of Cash Flow identifies the movement of cash in and out of the cash
account in the daily operations of a business. It measures the amount of cash available
and identifies how it is used. The cash account is the most important current asset account
because it is used to purchase the other assets required to produce the products and services,
and it is used to pay all operating expenses including the salaries and wages of
employees making the products and services.
Cash flow activities are divided into three categories: operating activities, financing
activities, and investing activities. Hospitality managers are primarily involved in operating
activities as they manage their departments.
Liquidity is an important measurement of cash flow. It is the amount of cash or cash
equivalents that a company has to cover its daily operating expenses. The dollar amount
available in the cash account is immediately available for use in company operations and
requires no time for conversion into the cash account.
Hospitality Manager Takeaways
1. It is important for hospitality managers to have a general understanding of the
Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flow. The daily operation of their department
will affect both statements.
2. Working capital is the accounts on the Balance Sheet that hospitality managers
use on a daily basis—primarily cash, inventories, and accounts payable.
3. Hospitality managers must understand the importance of liquidity, which is the
ability to maintain sufficient cash account balances to pay all debts and operating
responsibilities.
4. It is important for hospitality managers to understand the basic characteristics
of the Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flow and be able to have a positive
impact on them through the daily operations of their departments.
Key Terms
Accounts Payable—Products or services received by a company but not paid for that are
due within one year.
Accounts Receivable—What the company is owed for providing products and services
to customers. Revenues recorded but uncollected.
Assets—The resources owned by a company that are used by that company in the production
of products and services.
Current—Assets that are used or consumed during a one-year time period.
Long Term—Assets with a useful life of longer than one year.
Balance Sheet—The financial statement that measures the value or net worth of a business
as of a specific date. Also called the Asset and Liability (A&L) Statement.
Cash—Funds that are in the cash account and available for use in daily business
operations.
Classifications of Cash Flow—Operating activities, financial activities, and investment
activities.
Fundamental Accounting Equation—Assets = Liabilities + Owner Equity.
Inventory—Assets in the form of materials and supplies that the company has purchased
but not yet used in the production of products and services.
Liabilities—Obligations owed by a company.
Current—Obligations that are due within one year.
Long Term—Obligations that are due longer than one year from the current date.
Owner Equity—The amount invested in a company by owners or investors including
paid-in capital, common stock, and retained earnings.
Source and Use of Funds Statement—A part of the statement of cash flow that shows
how funds are created (source) and disbursed (used) among the different accounts on
the balance sheet.
Statement of Cash Flow—Measures the liquidity and identifies the flow of cash in a
company