Financial & Non-financial Objectives (Edexcel IGCSE Business)
Revision Note
Written by: Lisa Eades
Reviewed by: Steve Vorster
Financial Objectives
Business objectives are targets that guide operations and drive growth in an organisation
Setting and sharing clear objectives can help a business to succeed for several reasons
Business owners have a focus for their decision making
Employees have common goals to work towards and can be motivated to achieve targets
Performance can be weighed up against objectives and suitable adjustments made for future success
Objectives are most useful when they are SMART
Specific: it states precisely what is to be achieved
Measurable: the desired outcome is expressed in quantitative terms
Achievable: it is possible with the people and resources involved
Realistic: it is possible with the resources the business has at its disposal
Time specific: it is clear when, precisely, the objective is to be achieved
An example of a SMART objective might be for a business to increase its sales revenue by 10% by the end of the year
Financial objectives are specifics goal related to the financial performance, resources or structure of a business
They are particularly important in the private sector as owners are likely to want to make money
Main Types of Financial Objectives
Objective | Explanation | Examples |
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Survival |
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Profit |
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Sales |
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Market share |
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Financial security |
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Non-financial Objectives
Non-financial objectives are targets that are not directly connected to making money
Achieving non-financial objectives is often the main focus of businesses in the public sector and the voluntary sector
Many profit-making businesses also set non-financial objectives that compliment their key financial objectives
Main Types of Non-financial Objectives
Objective | Explanation | Examples |
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Social |
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Personal satisfaction |
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Challenge |
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Independence & control |
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Examiner Tips and Tricks
You may be asked to give an example of a business objective
Look at the question carefully - has it asked you to give a financial objective or a non-financial objective?
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