Business A to Z

Every trade has words it uses without explaining. In business the cost of not knowing one is real: some of them are ordinary jargon and some of them are a decision that can take a house.

Please note: This page explains what a term means. It is general information, not legal, financial, tax or investment advice, and it does not know anything about your business. Before you sign, file or commit to anything, check it with an accountant, a solicitor, or the official guidance we link to.

Studying business? We write GCSE revision songs, and there is one for business studies. Listen to the revision playlist.

71 terms filed under C, showing 11–20 (page 2 of 8).

C

Cash flow

Also called Cashflow, Working cash

The money actually moving in and out of your bank account, and the reason profitable businesses still go under.

CDM regulations

Health and safety duties on construction projects. They apply to almost every project.

Change control

A formal process for agreeing changes to what was agreed.

Change management

Getting people to actually work the new way.

Charity governance

How a charity is run, and the duties trustees carry personally.

Chart of accounts

The list of categories your bookkeeping puts every transaction into. Boring, and it decides what your reports can tell you.

Churn

Also called Attrition, Customer churn, Revenue churn

The rate at which customers leave. The quiet number that decides whether growth compounds or treads water.

CIS

Also called Construction Industry Scheme

A scheme requiring contractors to deduct tax from payments to construction subcontractors and pass it to HMRC.

Client engagement letter

The document setting out what you will do for a client and on what terms.

Closing a company

Ending a company you no longer need. Two routes, with different tax.

Something missing?

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