Glencoe Introduction to Business by Brown, Clow

Glencoe Introduction to Business by Brown, Clow is the book authored by Betty J. Brown, Ball State University, and John E. Clow, National Council on Economic Education, New York, NY, Professor Emeritus, State University of New York, College at Oneonta, and published in 2008 by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, Woodland Hills, CA, a company of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

• Ability. Skill that an individual has already developed.
• Accounting. The function of business that involves maintaining and auditing records, sending out and paying bills, and preparing financial reports for a business; The systematic process of recording and reporting the financial position of a person or an organization.
• Accounting equation. A concept that states that assets must always equal the sum of liabilities and owner's equity.
• Accounts payable. The total amount a business owes to creditors.
• Accounts receivable. The total amount of money owed to a business. It represents money to be received in payments after goods or services are sold on credit..
• Actual cash value. Value of an automobile when it was new minus depreciation.
• Ad campaign. A series of ad messages that share a single idea and theme.
• Advertising agency. A business that specializes in developing ad campaigns and ads for its clients.
• Advertising. Paid, non-personal form of communication that businesses use to promote their products and services.
• Ageism. Discrimination based on age.
• Annual percentage rate (APR). Cost of credit on a yearly basis.
• Antitrust laws. Laws that allow the federal government to break up monopolies, regulate them, or take over them.
• Aptitude. Potential for learning a skill.
• Assets. Property or other items of value owned by a business.
• Audience. The number of homes or people exposed to an ad.
• Autocratic leadership. A leadership style in which one person runs everything and makes all decisions without consulting others.
• Baby boom generation. Persons born in the United States between 1946 and 1964.
• Background check. The process of verifying certain information provided by a job applicant.
• Bait and switch. Sales tactic in which buyers are tempted by an advertised bargain but are then persuaded to buy a more expensive item instead.
• Balance of trade. The difference in value between a country's imports and exports over a period of time.
• Balance sheet. A report of the balances in all asset, liability, and owner's equity accounts at the end of an accounting period.
• Bank account. A record of how much money a customer has deposited into or withdrawn from a bank.
• Bank reconciliation. Process of seeing whether an account holder's records agree with a bank's records for an account.
• Bank statement. The bank's record of all the transactions in a bank account.
• Bankruptcy. Legal process in which a borrower is relieved of debts after showing an inability to pay.
• Banner ads. Ads displayed across the top or bottom of a computer screen.
• Beneficiary. Someone who receives all or part of the proceeds of an insurance policy, or a survivor of a deceased policyholder.
• Benefits. Extras that workers receive, such as health and life insurance, sick leave, retirement plans, and holiday pay.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB). Nonprofit organization that collects information on local businesses and handles consumers' complaints.
• Body language. Nonverbal communication that includes posture, eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures.
• Bond discount. Difference between the amount you pay for the bond and its face value.
• Bond. Certificate issued by a government or company promising to pay back borrowed money at a fixed rate of interest on a specified date.
• Boycott. A refusal to buy a company's goods or services.
• Brand name. Trade name for a product or service produced by a particular company.
• Breach of contract. The failure of one party to live up to the terms of a contract.
• Break-even point. The point at which total revenues, or sales, equal total costs and expenses of making and distributing a product or service.
• Brick-and-mortar. Actual buildings, such as stores and warehouses.
• Brokerage firms. Financial institutions that sell stocks and bonds and also may offer a wide range of financial services to clients.
• Budget. A plan specifying how money will be issued or spent during a particular period.
• Budget deficit. When the government spends more on programs than it collects in taxes.
• Budget surplus. A situation in which a government's revenue exceeds its expenditures during a one-year period.
• Budget variance. Difference between the budgeted amount and the actual amount that is spent.
• Bureaucracy. Formal organization with several levels of management.
• Business. Any commercial activity that seeks profit by providing goods and services to others in exchange for money.
• Business cycle. The rise and fall of economic activity over time.
• Business ethics. Rules based on moral principles about how businesses and employees ought to conduct themselves.
• Business etiquette. Conduct that is considered socially acceptable in business.
• Business plan. A written description of a new business venture that describes all aspects of the business.
• Capital. Money supplied by investors, banks, or owners of a business. Start-up capital is the money used to pay for the various assets and expenses of a new venture or business..
• Canceled checks. Checks that have been cashed.
• Capital gain. Profit made from the sale of a financial asset such as stock or a house.
• Capital loss. Amount lost when an asset is sold for less than its cost.
• Capital resources. The things used to produce goods and services.
• Career. Work history of one or more jobs in the same or related fields of interest.
• Cash advance. Loan given in cash by a credit card company in anticipation of the borrower's being able to repay it.
• Cash flows. The amount of money that is available to a business at any given time.
• Cash-value insurance. Insurance that provides both savings and death benefits; also called permanent insurance..
• Centralized organization. An organization that puts authority in one place -- with top management.
• Certificate of deposit (CD). Type of savings account that requires a specified amount of money be deposited for a set period of time.
• Channel of distribution. A pathway to direct products to consumers.
• Charge account. Credit provided by a store or company for customers to buy its products.
• Check. Written order directing a bank to pay money on demand to the person or company named on it.
• Check register. Checkbook log in which an account holder records checking account transactions.
• Chronological résumé. A list of your achievements in time order.
• Claim. Request for payment from an insurer for any damages covered by an insurance policy.
• Clearance sale. Sale to clear out goods that are going out of season or are no longer profitable.
• Clicks-and-mortar. The use of both the Internet and buildings, such as stores and warehouses, to conduct business.
• Code of ethics. A set of guidelines for maintaining ethics in the workplace.
• Coinsurance. Percentage of medical expenses that a policyholder must pay beyond the deductible.
• Collateral. Property or goods pledged by a borrower to use as security against a loan if the loan is not repaid.
• Collectibles. Items that appeal to collectors and investors.
• Collection agent. Person or business that collects payments for overdue bills.
• Command economy. An economic system in which a central authority makes the key economic decisions.
• Commercial banks. Banks that offer the entire range of banking services, such as checking and savings accounts, loans, and financial advice; also called full-service banks.
• Commercial credit. Credit used by businesses.
• Commodities. Items that are traded, especially unprocessed materials such as oil, food grains, and metals.
• Commodities exchange. Exchange where investors can buy contracts for quantities of a given commodity for delivery at a future date.
• Common stock. Stock that provides the most basic form of corporate ownership.
• Comparative advantage. The ability of a country or company to produce a particular good more efficiently than another country or company.
• Comparison shopping. Comparing the prices of competing brands or stores.
• Compensation. Pay and benefits.
• Competition. The contest between businesses to win customers.
• Compound interest. Interest earned on both the principal -- the money deposited into a savings account -- and any interest earned on it.
• Compulsory insurance law. Law that requires drivers to have a minimum amount of car insurance.
• Computer. An electronic device that accepts, processes, stores, and outputs data at high speeds, based on programmed instructions.
• Computer-aided design (CAD). Software for designing products with a computer.
• Conflict of interest. Conflict between selfinterest and professional obligation.
• Conservation. The process of preserving, protecting, and planning the management of resources.
• Consolidation loan. Loan that combines all your debts into one loan with lower payments.
• Consumer. Person who uses goods and services.
• Consumer advocates. Groups and individuals who work to protect, inform, and defend consumers.
• Consumer Credit Protection Act or Truth in Lending Act. Federal law that requires creditors to inform consumers about the costs and terms of credit.
• Consumer credit. Credit used by people for personal reasons.
• Consumer movement. Movement to pass laws protecting consumers from unfair and unsafe business practices.
• Consumer rights. Protections included in the Consumer Bill of Rights. They are: the right to be informed, the right to choose, the right to safety, the right to be heard, the right to have problems corrected, the right to consumer education, and the right to service..
• Contract. A legal agreement between two or more parties to do business.
• Controllable risk. Risk that can be controlled to minimize the chance of harm.
• Creditor. Person or organization that lends money or provides credit.
• Culture. The beliefs, customs, and attitudes of a distinct group of people.
• Current assets. Assets that are either used up or converted to cash during the normal cycle of the business.
• Database management. A computer program used to store data organized especially for rapid search and retrieval.
• Debit card. Bank card that immediately takes money from a checking account when it is used.
• Debtor. Person who borrows money or uses credit.
• Decentralized organization. An organization that gives authority to a number of different managers.
• Deductible. Amount in damages a policyholder must pay before the insurance company pays a claim.
• Deductions. Amounts that are taken from pay before a worker receives a paycheck.
• Deficit. Situation that occurs when more money is spent than is earned or received.
• Deflation. A general decrease in the cost of goods and services.
• Delegating. Giving managers and employees the power to run things and make decisions..
• Demand. The amount or quantity of goods and services that consumers are willing to buy at various prices.
• Democratic leadership. A leadership style in which managers work with employees to make decisions.
• Demographics. Facts about the population.
• Departmentalization. Dividing responsibility among specific units, or departments.
• Deposit. The money put in a bank account.
• Depreciation. Decline in value of an asset.
• Depression. A deep recession that affects the entire economy and lasts for several years.
• Controlling. Keeping the company on track and making sure goals are met.
• Cookies. Bits of information about a computer user that are stored on the computer user's hard drive.
• Cooperative. Organization that is owned and operated by its members.
• Copayment. Fee paid each time a service is used.
• Copyright. The exclusive legal right given to artists to own their creations.
• Corporate bonds. Bonds issued by corporations to finance things such as construction and equipment.
• Corporate culture. A company's shared values, beliefs, and goals.
• Corporation. Company that is registered by a state and operates apart from its owners.
• Cosigner. Someone who agrees to be responsible for a debt if the main applicant does not pay it.
• Cost per thousand (CPM). The media cost of exposing 1,000 readers or viewers to an advertising impression.
• Coupon rate. Rate of interest on a bond.
• Cover letter. Letter that accompanies a résumé and tells the employer about an applicant, explaining why the person is applying for a job.
• Credit. An agreement to get money, goods, or services now in exchange for a promise to pay in the future.
• Credit counselor. Someone who helps consumers work out a plan for getting out of debt and managing their money.
• Credit limit. The maximum amount a card holder can charge on a credit card.
• Credit rating. A measure of a person's ability and willingness to pay debts on time.
• Credit report. Document showing a person's credit history, including a record of past borrowing and repaying.
• Credit unions. Not-for-profit banks set up by organizations for their customers to use.
• Desktop publishing. Software used to produce publications such as reports, newsletters, and magazines.
• Digital workflow. Linking all the steps in a process digitally.
• Direct deposit. The electronic transfer of a payment directly from the payer's bank account to the account of the person being paid.
• Direct distribution. Distribution of goods or services from the producer directly to the customer.
• Direct-mail advertising. Ads sent by mail to people's homes.
• Discrimination. Unfair treatment of a person or group, usually because of prejudice about race, ethnicity, age, religion, or gender.
• Diversify. To vary investments in order to spread risk or expand.
• Diversity. A variety of employees with different backgrounds and identities.
• Dividends. A share of profits given to stockholders.
• Down payment. A portion of the total cost that is paid when a product or service is purchased.
• E-commerce. Electronic commerce, or business conducted on the Internet.
• Economic risk. Risk that involves the likelihood of economic loss.
• Economic system. The method that a society chooses to use and distribute resources.
• Economics. The study of how individuals and groups of individuals strive to satisfy their wants and needs through making choices.
• E-learning. Electronic learning; the process of learning online.
• Electronic funds transfer (EFT). Allows money to be transferred from one bank account to another through a network of computers.
• Embargo. A ban on the import or export of a product.
• Employability skills. Basic skills that are needed to get, keep, and do well at a job.
• Endorsement. Signature of the payee on the back of the check.
• Entrepreneur. A person who recognizes a business opportunity and organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of starting and operating a business.
• Entrepreneurial resources. The people who recognize opportunities and start businesses.
• Entrepreneurial. Acting like an entrepreneur or having an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Entrepreneurship. The process of recognizing a business opportunity, testing it in the market, and gathering the resources necessary to start and run a business.
• Entry-level job. Job suitable for a worker who is new to a job, field, or subject.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A federal agency that enforces rules that protect the environment and control pollution.
• Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Federal law stating that credit applications can be judged only on the basis of financial responsibility.
• Equal Pay Act. Law passed in 1964 that requires men and women be paid the same wages for doing equal work.
• Equilibrium price. The point at which the quantity demanded and the quantity supplied meet.
• Equity. Value of a piece of property less the amount still owed on the money borrowed to purchase it.
• Ergonomics. Design factors for the workplace that are intended to maximize productivity by minimizing a worker's discomfort.
• E-tail. Electronic retail.
• Ethics. Moral principles by which people conduct themselves personally, socially, or professionally.
• E-tickets. Electronic tickets.
• E-workforce. People who work with computers while doing business.
• Finance companies. Financial institutions that offer short-term loans to businesses and consumers, but at much higher interest rates than banks charge.
• Financial forecast. An estimate of a business's financial outlook for each of the next few years.
• Financial institution. A firm that manages money.
• Financial plan. A set of documents that outline the essential financial facts about a new firm or venture.
• Financial responsibility law. Law that requires drivers to pay for any damages or injuries they cause in an accident.
• Financial statements. Documents summarizing the changes resulting from business transactions that occur during an accounting period.
• Fixed assets. Items of value that are held for more than one year.
• Fixed expenses. Expenses that occur regularly and are regularly paid.
• Fixed rate. An interest rate that always remains the same.
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A federal government agency that protects consumers from dangerous or falsely advertised products.
• Franchise. Contractual agreement to use the name and sell the products or services of a company in a designated geographic area.
• Fraud. The crime of obtaining money or some other benefit by deliberate deception.
• Free trade. Few or no limits on trade between countries.
• Free-rein leadership. A leadership style that requires the leader to set goals for managers and employees and then leaves them alone to get the job done.
• Frequency. The number of times an audience sees or hears an ad.
• Full warranty. A guarantee about the quality of goods or services..
• Full-time job. A job that requires at least 40 hours of work each week.
• Exchange rate. The price at which one currency can buy another currency.
• Executive summary. A brief recounting of the key points contained in a business plan.
• Expense. Amount of money used to buy or do something.
• Exports. Goods and services that one country sells to another country.
• Express warranty. Warranty that is explicitly stated, in writing or verbally.
• Extended coverage. Other types of protection added to a basic insurance policy.
• Extracurricular activities. Activities that students do besides schoolwork.
• Extranet. An extension of the intranet of a company or organization that gives authorized outsiders controlled access to the intranet.
• Factors of production. All the economic resources necessary to produce a society's goods and services.
• Fair Credit Billing Act. Federal law that requires creditors to correct billing mistakes brought to their attention.
• Fair Credit Reporting Act. Federal law that allows individuals to examine and correct information used by credit reporting agencies.
• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Federal law that serves to regulate collection agencies.
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Government agency that insures bank accounts.
• Federal Reserve System. The central bank of the United States.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Agency that enforces antitrust laws and regulates interstate trade.
• Finance. The function of business that involves money management.
• Finance charge. The total amount it costs a borrower to have the lender finance the loan.
• Garnishment of wages. A court order to take all or part of a debtor's paycheck if he or she stops making payments.
• Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Rules that provide a way to communicate financial information to others.
• Generic products. Plainly labeled, unadvertised products that are sold at lower prices than brand-name goods.
• Global economy. The interconnected economies of the nations of the world.
• Goals. Things to be accomplished.
• Goods. Physical products.
• Grace period. Amount of time allowed to repay a debt without having to pay interest charges.
• Grade labels. Labels indicating the level of quality of foods.
• Gross domestic product (GDP). The total value of the goods and services produced in a country in a given year.
• Gross pay. The total amount of money a worker earns for a specific time.
• Group training. Teaching several employees together.
• Hacker. A person who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system.
• Hardware. The physical components of a computer system.
• Hazard. Anything that increases the liklihood of loss through peril.
• Health maintenance organization (HMO). Organization that provides health care at its own health centers for a fixed fee.
• Hierarchy. A formal chain of command with one person at the top who makes all the decisions.
• Homeowners policy. Insurance that covers damage to property and personal property, additional living expenses if a home is destroyed, and liability protection.
• Human relations. The study of how people interact in the workplace and how communication can be improved.
• Human resources. The people employed in a business, commonly referred to as personnel.
• Human resources management. The process of finding, selecting, training, and evaluating employees.
• Human risk. The risk of harm caused by human mistakes, dishonesty, or another risk that is attributable to people.
• Identity theft. Theft of a person's financial information for the purpose of committing fraud under that person's identity.
• Imports. Goods and services that one country buys from another country.
• Impression. A single exposure to an advertising message.
• Impulse buying. The act of making unplanned purchases.
• Income. The actual amount of money earned or received during a given period.
• Income property. Property used to generate income.
• Income statement. A report of the revenue, expenses, and net income or net loss for an accounting period.
• Indirect distribution. Distribution involving one or more intermediaries.
• Inflation. A general increase in the cost of goods and services.
• Inflation risk. Risk that the rate of inflation will increase more than the rate of interest on savings.
• Infomercial. A 30-minute commercial.
• Information technology (IT). Using computing, electronics, and telecommunications to process and distribute information in digital and other forms.
• Initiative. The ability to act and make decisions without the help or advice of others.
• Installment loans. Loans repaid in regular payments over a period of time.
• Insurable risk. Risk that meets an insurance company's criteria for insurance coverage.
• Insurance. Paid protection against loss due to injury or property damage.
• Insurance companies. Financial institutions that provide protection against problems such as fire and theft.
• Insurance policy. A contract between a person and an insurance company to cover a specific risk.
• Integrity. An adherence to a code of ethical values, such as honesty, loyalty, and fairness.
• Interest. A fee charged for the use of money.
• Interest-bearing account. An account that pays earns interest on the balance for the depositor.
• Interests. An individual's favorite activities.
• Intermediary. A business that moves goods from one business to another.
• International trade. The exchange of goods and services between nations.
• Internet. A global computer network that connects many computer networks to allow information to flow freely around the world.
• Internship. A temporary paid or unpaid position that involves direct work experience in a career field.
• Interstate commerce. Business that takes place between states.
• Intranet. A computer network within an organization.
• Intrastate commerce. Business within each state.
• Investing. Committing money or capital in order to gain a financial return.
• Job. Work that people do for pay; also known as an occupation.
• Job description. A detailed outline of the duties, qualifications, and conditions required to do a specific job.
• Job interview. A formal face-to-face discussion between an employer and a potential employee.
• Job objective. A statement about the type of job a job applicant wants.
• Job shadowing. The act of following another worker for a few days on a job.
• Labor resources. Individuals who make the goods and services for which they are paid.
• Leadership. Taking a company and its employees in a direction based upon a vision.
• Leading. Providing direction and vision.
• Legal monopoly. A company that is allowed to operate without competition.
• Liabilities. Creditors' claims to the assets of a business.
• Licenses. Legal permits to conduct business.
• Life insurance. Insurance that is paid to a person or people designated to receive the funds when the insured person dies.
• Limited liability. A claim that holds a firm's owners responsible for no more than the capital that they have invested in it.
• Limited warranty. A warranty that covers only certain parts of a product or requires the customer to bear some of the expense when repairs are needed.
• Line and staff authority. An organizational structure with direct lines of authority as well as staff who advise line personnel.
• Line authority. An organizational structure in which managers at the top of the line are in charge of those beneath them, and so on.
• Liquidity. The ability to quickly turn an investment into cash.
• Loss leaders. Advertised products that sell at a loss to bring customers into a store.
• Management. The process of achieving company goals by planning, organizing, directing, controlling, and evaluating the effective use of resources.
• Manufacturers. Businesses that make finished products out of processed goods.
• Market. A group of customers who share common wants and needs.
• Market economy. An economic system in which economic decisions are made in the marketplace, where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods and services, usually for money.
• Market research. The gathering and analysis of information on the size, location, and makeup of a product market.
• Market segmentation. The division of a market for a product into groups of customers who have the same needs and traits.
• Marketing. The process of planning, pricing, promoting, selling, and distributing ideas, goods, and services.
• Marketing concept. The process of determining the wants and needs of customers and providing them more efficiently and effectively than competitors.
• Marketing mix. The four main elements of marketing, also called the four Ps: product, place, price, and promotion. It sometimes includes a fifth P, for people.
• Mass media. Means of communication, such as television, radio, and newspapers.
• Maturity date. The date when the money deposited into a certificate of deposit becomes available to the depositor.
• Media planning. The process of selecting advertising media and deciding the time and space in which the ads should appear.
• Medicaid. Federally and state-funded healthcare plan for people who are unable to pay for insurance or health care.
• Medicare. U.S. government's major health insurance program for the elderly.
• Middle managers. Managers who carry out the decisions of top management.
• Mission statement. A statement that expresses the specific aspirations of a company, the major goals for which it will strive.
• Mixed economy. A combination of a market economy and a command economy.
• Monetary system. A system in which goods and services are directly exchanged using money.
• Money. A standard of value and a means of exchange or payment.
• Money management. A method of planning to get the most from one's money.
• Money market deposit account. A form of money market fund offered by banks, savings and loans, and credit unions.
• Money market fund. A type of mutual fund, or pool of money, put into a variety of short-term debt (less than one year) by businesses and governments.
• Monopoly. A company that controls an industry or is the only one to offer a product or service.
• Mortgage. An agreement in which a borrower gives a lender the right to take property if a loan is not repaid.
• Mortgage companies. Financial institutions that provide loans specifically for buying a home or business.
• Multi-channel retailer. A company that uses several means to sell products.
• Multinational corporation. A company that does business in many countries and has facilities and offices around the world.
• Municipal bonds. Bonds issued by local and state governments to finance city, town, or regional projects such as schools, highways, and airports.
• Mutual fund. A fund created by an investment firm that raises money from many shareholders and invests it in a variety of stocks or other investments.
• National debt. The total amount of money a government owes.
• Natural resources. Raw materials from nature used to produce goods.
• Natural risk. The possibility of a catastrophe such as a flood, tornado, hurricane, fire, lightning, drought, or earthquake.
• Needs. Things that you must have in order to survive.
• Net pay. Gross pay minus deductions.
• Networking. The practice of building informal relationships with people whose friendship could bring advantages such as job or business opportunities.
• No-fault insurance. Insurance that requires drivers involved in accidents to collect damages from their own insurance companies no matter who is at fault.
• Nonprofit organization. A type of business that focuses on providing a service rather than making a profit.
• Occupation. Activity in which one engages; also known as a job.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). A division of the U.S. Department of Labor that sets and enforces work-related health and safety rules.
• Oligopoly. A small number of companies that control an industry.
• On-the-job training. Learning a new job by actually doing it.
• Operating system. Software that controls the operation of a computer and directs the processing of programs.
• Operational managers. Managers who are responsible for the daily operations of a business.
• Opportunity cost. What you give up when you make one choice instead of another, sometimes called a tradeoff.
• Organizational chart. A chart that shows how the firm is structured and who is in charge of whom.
• Organizing. Getting resources arranged in an orderly and functional way to accomplish goals and objectives.
• Orientation. The process of helping new employees adjust to a company.
• Outsourcing. Using outside sources to do tasks traditionally handled by internal staff.
• Outstanding checks. Checks that have been written but have not yet been cashed.
• Overdraft protection. A line of credit for overdrawn checks.
• Overdrawn. Having written checks for more money than the balance in the account.
• Owner's equity. An owner's claims to the assets of a business.
• Partnership. A business owned by two or more people who share its risks and rewards.
• Patent. A legal grant for the sole right to own an invention.
• Performance appraisal. An evaluation of how well an employee is doing a job.
• Peril. Anything that may possibly cause a loss.
• Personal financial planning. Spending, saving, and investing money to assure a certain kind of lifestyle as well as financial security.
• Personal property. Possessions that can be moved, such as furniture, jewelry, and electronic equipment.
• Personality. The sum total of a person's feelings, actions, habits, and thoughts; characteristics that make someone special.
• Planning. The act or process of creating goals and objectives as well as the strategies to meet those goals and objectives.
• Pollution. The contamination of air, water, and land.
• Pop-up ads. Ads that appear for a few seconds when a computer user first logs on to the Internet or clicks on to a Web site.
• Precious gems. Rough mineral deposits (usually crystals) that are dug from the earth by miners and then cut and shaped into brilliant jewels.
• Precious metals. Valuable ores such as silver, gold, and platinum.
• Pre-existing condition. Serious health condition diagnosed before a person obtained health insurance.
• Preferred provider organization (PPO). Group of doctors and hospitals that agree to provide specified medical services to members at prearranged fees.
• Preferred stock. Stock that gives the owner the advantage of receiving cash dividends before common stockholders receive any.
• Premium. The price an insured person or business pays for insurance protection for a specified period of time.
• Presentation program. Software for creating slide shows for presentations.
• Price discrimination. Act of charging various prices for the same product or service in different markets or to different customers.
• Price. The amount of money given or asked for when goods and services are bought or sold.
• Prime time. The time period when the TV or radio audience is the largest.
• Principal. The amount of borrowed money that is still owed and on which interest is based.
• Privatization. Hiring a business to offer a public good or service.
• Proceeds. The face value of a life insurance policy.
• Processors. Businesses that change raw materials into more finished products.
• Procurement. The buying and reselling of goods that have already been produced.
• Producer. A business that gathers raw products in their natural state.
• Product liability. The legal responsibility that manufacturers have to make a safe product.
• Production. The process of creating, expanding, manufacturing, or improving goods and services.
• Profit. The money left over after a business has paid the cost of providing its goods and services.
• Promotion. A move to a higher-level job that has more authority, responsibility, and pay.
• Promotional sale. A sale that offers a special buy on a new product or product that is in season.
• Property. Anything of value that is owned or controlled.
• Prosperity. A peak of economic activity.
• Protectionism. The practice of the government putting limits on foreign trade to protect businesses at home.
• Pure risk. The threat of a loss with no opportunity for gain.
• Qualifications. Education, skills, and work experience needed to do a particular job.
• Quota. A limit placed on the quantities of a product that can be imported.
• Random access memory (RAM). A computer memory used to hold all of the data and instructions required during operations.
• Rate of return. The percentage of increase in the value of savings from earned interest.
• Real estate. Land and anything attached to it, such as buildings or natural resources.
• Real estate agent. A person licensed to arrange the buying and selling of homes and other types of real estate.
• Real property. Property attached to land, such as a house, business, garage, or other building.
• Recall. An order to take back and repair or replace a product that has defective parts.
• Recession. A slowdown of economic activity.
• Recovery. A rise in business activity after a recession or depression.
• Recruitment. Actively looking for qualified people to fill a job.
• Recycling. The collecting of products for processing so that they can be used again.
• Reference. Someone who comments on a job applicant's character and qualifications for a job.
• Regular savings account. A savings account that allows consumers to deposit or withdraw money at any time and to earn interest on deposited funds.
• Relationship marketing. A strategy to build customer relations.
• Rental property. Any type of dwelling unit or other property rented for a length of time.
• Renters insurance. Insurance that covers loss or damage to a renter's personal possessions.
• Replacement value. The full cost of repairing or replacing property, regardless of its depreciation value.
• Repossess. To take back.
• Reserves. Funds set aside for emergencies, such as a rush of withdrawals at a bank.
• Residential property. Property in which an individual or family lives.
• Resources. Items that people can use to make or obtain what they need or want.
• Résumé. A summary of an individual's skills, education, and work experience.
• Retailer. A business that purchases goods from a wholesaler and sells them to the consumer, the final buyer of the goods.
• Revenue. The income that governments get from all sources; the money that comes into a business from the sale of goods and services.
• Rider. An addition to an insurance policy that covers specific property or damages.
• Risk. The possibility of loss or injury.
• Risk management. The systemic process of managing risk to achieve your objectives.
• Safe-deposit box. A secure box in a bank's vault for the safe storage of a customer's valuables.
• Salary. A fixed amount of pay for each week, month, or year.
• Saving. Putting money aside for future use.
• Savings and loan associations. Financial institutions that hold customers' funds in interest-bearing accounts and invest mainly in mortgage loans.
• Savings bonds. Registered bonds that are sold in denominations of $50 to $10,000.
• Scarcity. A shortage of resources.
• Search engine. A computer program that searches for specific words on the Internet and returns a list of documents in which they were found.
• Secured loan. A loan backed by collateral.
• Security. A tradable document that shows evidence of debt or ownership.
• Self-managed teams. Work groups that supervise themselves. With these teams, the manager's role is replaced by the team leader's role..
• Separation. Leaving a company for any reason.
• Services. Tasks that businesses perform for consumers.
• Signature card. A record of a bank customer's signature used by the bank to verify the customer's identity.
• Simple interest. Interest earned only on money deposited into a savings account, called the principal.
• Skill. The ability to perform a task based on training and experience.
• Small business. An independently owned business that usually has the owner as its manager.
• Small Business Administration (SBA). A U.S. agency that protects the interests of small businesses.
• Social responsibility. The duty to do what is best for the good of society.
• Software. A computer program that contains a set of instructions that tell a computer what to do.
• Sole proprietorship. A business owned by only one person.
• Spreadsheet. A computerized worksheet for entering and charting data.
• Standard fire policy. Insurance that covers damage due to fire or lightning.
• Standard of living. The level of material comfort as measured by the goods and services that are available.
• Start-up. A newly formed business that usually is small.
• Statement of cash flows. A financial report that shows incoming and outgoing money during an accounting period (often monthly or quarterly).
• Stereotype. To identify a person by a single trait or as a member of a certain group rather than as an individual.
• Stock exchange. An organized market for buying and selling financial securities.
• Stock. Share of ownership in a business.
• Stockbroker. A person who buys and sells stocks, bonds, and other securities for clients.
• Stop payment. An order for a bank not to cash a particular check.
• Subsidies. Grants given to lower costs.
• Supply. The amount of goods and services that producers will provide at various prices.
• Surplus. Extra money that can be spent or saved.
• Sweatshop. A shop or factory in which workers are employed for long hours at low wages and under unhealthy conditions.
• Target marketing. Marketing that helps companies focus on the people most likely to buy their goods or services..
• Tariff. A tax placed on imports to increase their price in the domestic market.
• Tax. An amount of money people and businesses pay governments to help run a nation, state, county, city, or town.
• Tax incentives. Reductions in taxes that a government gives to a business or an individual to encourage a particular behavior.
• Telecommunications. The transmission of information over communication lines.
• Telecommuting. An arrangement that allows employees to work at home while communicating with the workplace by phone, fax, or modem.
• Term insurance. Insurance that covers a person for a specific period of time.
• Test-market. Offering a product in a limited market for a limited time.
• Top-level managers. Managers who are responsible for setting goals and planning for the future as well as leading and controlling the work of others.
• Trade. The activity of buying and selling goods and services in domestic or international markets.
• Trademark. A name, symbol, or characteristic that identifies a product.
• Transfer. A move to another job within a company at the same level and pay.
• Transit advertising. Posters placed on the sides of buses, in subway stations, inside trains, and at airports.
• Trust. A group of companies that band together to form a monopoly and cut out competition.
• Turnover. The number of employees who leave an organization and are replaced over a certain period.
• Wage. An amount of money paid to an employee on an hourly basis.
• Wants. Things that a person does not have to have to survive, but would like to have.
• Warranty. A written guarantee from the manufacturer or distributor that states the conditions under which a product can be returned, replaced, or repaired.
• Wearable computer. A small portable computer that is designed to be worn on the body during use.
• Web browser. A computer program used for displaying and viewing Web pages.
• Webcast. A broadcast made on the Internet.
• Wholesaler. A business that distributes goods; also known as a distributor.
• Withdrawal. The money taken out of a bank account.
• Word processing. Writing, editing, and producing documents, such as letters and reports, through the use of a computer program.
• World Wide Web. A system for accessing, changing, and downloading a large set of hypertext-linked documents and other files located on computers connected through the Internet.
• Yield. The amount of money an investment earns.
• Uncontrollable risk. Risk that cannot be controlled to minimize the chance of harm.
• Undeveloped property. Unused land intended only for investment purposes.
• Uninsurable risk. Risk that is unacceptable to insurance carriers because the likelihood of loss is too high.
• Unlimited liability. A liability that holds the owner fully responsible for a company's debts.
• Unsecured loan. A loan that is not backed by collateral.
• Usury law. A law restricting the amount of interest that can be charged for credit.
• Values. Important beliefs and ideas that guide a person's decisions and life.
• Variable expenses. Expenses that change and can be controlled more easily than fixed expenses.
• Variable rate. An adjustable interest rate charged by financial institutions such as banks.
• Virtual business or dot-com company. A business that operates on the Internet.
• Virtual reality. An artificial, three-dimensional visual world created by a computer.
• Virus. A program that is part of another and inserts copies of itself, often damaging the stored data.
• Vision statement. A statement that establishes the scope and purpose of a company and reflects its values and beliefs.
• Volunteerism. Working without pay.
• Access. The act of approaching or entering; to get at.
• Accommodation. The provision of what is needed; adaptation or adjustment.
• Accumulate. To increase gradually in quantity or number.
• Accurate. Free from error, especially as the result of care.
• Achieve. To carry out successfully; accomplish.
• Achievement. A result gained by effort.
• Acquire. To get as one's own.
• Adaptable. Capable of changing.
• Adequate. Sufficient for a specific requirement.
• Adjust. To adapt or conform.
• Administrator. One who manages or supervises.
• Affect. To produce an effect upon.
• Allocate. To apportion for a specific purpose or to particular persons or things.
• Alteration. The act of making something different.
• Alternative. One of two or more things, courses, or propositions to be chosen.
• Analyze. To study or determine the nature and relationship of component parts.
• Annual. Occurring or happening every year or once a year.
• Anticipate. The act of looking forward.
• Approach. The taking of preliminary steps toward a particular purpose.
• Area. A geographic region.
• Assemble. To bring together for a particular purpose.
• Assess. To determine the importance, size, or value.
• Assignment. A specified task.
• Associate. To connect one thing with another in the mind.
• Assurance. A statement intended to inspire confidence.
• Attach. To fasten one thing to another.
• Attitude. A feeling or emotion toward a fact or state.
• Author. One who originates or creates.
• Authority. The power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior.
• Authorize. To invest with legal authority.
• Automatic. Done by machine; mechanical.
• Available. Present or ready for immediate use.
• Aware. Having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge.
• Behalf. In the interest of or to benefit someone else.
• Benefit. An advantage.
• Bond. An interest-bearing certificate of public or private indebtedness.
• Bulk. Not divided into parts or packaged in separate units.
• Challenging. Arousing competitive interest, thought, or action.
• Civil. Of or relating to citizens.
• Comment. To make an observation or remark expressing an opinion or attitude.
• Commission. A fee paid to an agent or employee for transacting a piece of business or performing a service.
• Commit. To pledge or assign.
• Common. Shared by two or more parties.
• Communicate. To transmit information, thought, or feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or understood.
• Community. A body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society.
• Compare. To examine and note the similarities or differences of.
• Complement. To fill out or complete.
• Complex. A whole structure (such as a building) made up of interconnected or related structures.
• Comprehensive. Covering completely or broadly.
• Concept. Something conceived in the mind.
• Conduct. A mode or standard of personal behavior.
• Conflict. Competitive or opposing action of incompatibles.
• Consider. To think about carefully.
• Consist. To be composed or made up -- usually with of.
• Constant. Continually occurring or recurring.
• Contact. To get in communication with.
• Contribute. To play a significant part in bringing about an end or result.
• Control. To exercise power or influence over something.
• Controversy. A discussion marked especially by the expression of opposing views.
• Conversely. Reversed in order, relation, or action.
• Convert. To change from one form or function to another.
• Convince. To bring to belief, consent, or a course of action.
• Cooperate. To act or work with another or others.
• Create. To produce or bring about by a course of action or behavior.
• Criteria. Standards on which a judgment or decision may be based.
• Crucial. Of extreme importance.
• Data. Factual information used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation.
• Decade. A period of 10 years.
• Decline. The state of decreasing.
• Demand. An urgent request.
• Demonstrate. To illustrate and explain, especially with examples.
• Design. To devise for a specific function or end.
• Despite. In spite of.
• Determine. To settle or decide by choice of alternatives or possibilities.
• Device. A piece of equipment.
• Display. To put or spread before the viewer.
• Dispose. To get rid of.
• Dispute. A disagreement.
• Distinct. Distinguishable to the eye or mind as discrete; separate.
• Distribute. To divide among several or many.
• Diverse. Differing from one another.
• Document. A writing conveying information.
• Duration. Time during which something exists or lasts.
• Edit. To alter, adapt, or refine, especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose.
• Element. A constituent part.
• Eliminate. To put an end to; remove.
• Emphasis. Special importance or significance.
• Enable. To make possible, practical, or easy.
• Encounter. To come upon or experience, especially unexpectedly.
• Enforce. To carry out effectively.
• Enormous. Marked by extraordinarily great size, number, or degree.
• Ensure. To make sure, certain, or safe.
• Error. Something produced by mistake.
• Establish. To gain full recognition or acceptance.
• Estate. The assets and liabilities left by a person at death.
• Estimate. To determine roughly the size, extent, or nature of.
• Ethnic. Of or relating to large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background.
• Evaluate. To determine the significance, worth, or condition of, usually by careful appraisal and study.
• Evident. Capable of being seen or noticed.
• Exceed. To be greater than or superior to.
• Expand. To increase the extent, number, volume, or scope of.
• Expert. Someone with special knowledge or ability.
• Facilitate. To help bring about.
• Factor. One that actively contributes to the production of a result.
• Feature. A prominent part or characteristic.
• Federal. Of or relating to the central government or a federation as distinguished from the governments of the constituent units.
• Fee. A sum paid or charged for a service.
• Final. Last in a series, process, or progress.
• Flexible. Characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements.
• Fluctuate. To shift back and forth uncertainly.
• Focus. To concentrate attention or effort.
• Formula. A group of symbols associated to express facts or data concisely.
• Function. The action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists.
• Fund. A sum of money or other resources set apart for a specific purpose.
• Gender. A sex, or the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex.
• Generate. To bring into existence, produce.
• Goal. The end toward which effort is directed.
• Grant. To give or transfer formally.
• Guarantee. An assurance for the fulfillment of a condition.
• Guideline. An indication of policy or conduct.
• Hence. Because of a preceding fact or premise.
• Identify. To establish the identity of.
• Illustrate. To show clearly.
• Image. A visual representation of something.
• Impact. A significant or major effect.
• Incentive. Something that incites or has a tendency to incite to determination or action.
• Incline. To lean, tend, or become drawn toward.
• Income. A gain or recurrent benefit usually measured in money that derives from capital or labor.
• Incorporate. Unite or work into something already existent so as to form an indistinguishable whole.
• Indicate. To point out or point to.
• Individual. A single human being.
• Initiate. To cause or facilitate the beginning of.
• Injure. To inflict bodily harm.
• Insert. To put into something.
• Instance. A step, stage, or situation viewed as part of a process or series of events.
• Institution. An established organization or corporation.
• Integral. Essential to completeness.
• Integrity. The quality of possessing firm moral principles and values.
• Interact. To act together, toward others, or with others.
• Intermediate. Being or occurring at the middle place, stage, or degree between extremes.
• Internal. Of, relating to, or occurring on the inside of an organized structure.
• Involve. To engage as a participant.
• Issue. To put forth or distribute, usually officially.
• Item. A distinct part in an enumeration, account, or series; an article.
• Justify. To prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable.
• Label. To describe or designate with or as if with a label.
• Labor. Human activity that provides goods or services in an economy.
• Link. To couple or connect.
• Locate. To determine or indicate the place, site, or limits of.
• Maintain. Keep in an existing state.
• Major. Greater in dignity, rank, importance, or interest.
• Manual. A book that is conveniently handled; a handbook.
• Mature. To become due.
• Mean. To indicate or signify.
• Media. Channels or systems of communication, information, or entertainment.
• Medical. Of, relating to or concerned with physicians or the practice of medicine.
• Medium. Intermediate in quantity, quality, position, size, or degree.
• Mental. Of or relating to the mind.
• Method. A procedure or process for attaining an object.
• Military. Of or relating to soldiers, arms, or war.
• Minimize. To reduce or keep to a minimum.
• Minimum. The least quantity assignable, admissible, or possible.
• Mode. Particular form or variety of something.
• Modify. To make less extreme.
• Monitor. To watch, keep track of, or check.
• Mutual. Shared in common.
• Network. A group of radio or television stations linked by wire or radio relay.
• Nevertheless. In spite of that; however.
• Nuclear. Produced by a nuclear reaction (as fission).
• Objective. Something toward which effort is directed.
• Observe. To watch carefully.
• Obtain. Gain or attain, usually by planned action or effort.
• Occurrence. Something that occurs; an event.
• Option. An alternate course of action; a choice.
• Order. A request or demand.
• Overall. Including everything.
• Overseas. Situated, originating in, or relating to lands beyond the sea.
• Panel. A group of persons who discuss a topic of public interest.
• Participate. Have a part or share in something.
• Partner. A member of a partnership, especially in a business.
• Percentage. The result obtained by multiplying a number by a percent.
• Perform. To carry out a function.
• Period. A portion of time determined by some recurring phenomenon.
• Physical. Having material existence.
• Plus. In addition to.
• Policy. A definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions.
• Portion. A part or share of something.
• Pose. To pretend to be someone else.
• Potential. Existing in possibility.
• Predict. To declare or indicate in advance.
• Primary. Of first rank, importance, or value.
• Prime. Having the highest quality or value.
• Principle. A rule or code of conduct.
• Priority. Something given or meriting attention before competing alternatives.
• Process. A series of actions or operations leading to an end.
• Professional. One who engages in a pursuit or activity professionally.
• Prohibit. Forbid by authority.
• Project. To plan, figure, or estimate for the future.
• Publication. A published work such as a magazine or journal.
• Purchase. To obtain by paying money or its equivalent.
• Purpose. The goal or intended outcome of something.
• Pursue. Employing measures to obtain or accomplish.
• Quote. To state the current price of something.
• Random. Lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern.
• Range. A series of things in a line.
• Region. A broad geographic area distinguished by similar features.
• Registered. Enrolled formally.
• Regulate. To bring under the control of law or constituted authority.
• Reject. To refuse to accept or acknowledge.
• Relationship. The state of being related or interrelated.
• Relaxed. Easy of manner; informal.
• Release. To make available to the public.
• Rely. To be dependent.
• Remove. Get rid of; eliminate.
• Require. Demand as necessary or essential.
• Research. To collect information about a particular subject.
• Resolved. Cleared up, decided.
• Resource. A source of supply or support.
• Respond. To react in response.
• Restore. To bring back to or put back into a former or original state.
• Restrict. To confine within bounds.
• Retain. Keep in possession or use.
• Reveal. To make publicly or generally known.
• Revise. Look over again in order to correct or improve.
• Role. A function or part performed, especially in a particular operation or process.
• Route. An established or selected course, travel, or action.
• Scenario. An account or synopsis of a possible course of action or events.
• Schedule. A procedural plan that indicates the time and sequence of each operation.
• Scheme. An elaborate and systematic plan of action, especially a crafty or secret one.
• Section. A distinct part or portion of something written.
• Sector. A sociological, economic, or political subdivision of society.
• Secure. Free from risk or loss.
• Seek. Go in search of.
• Series. A number of things or events of the same class coming one after another in spatial or temporal succession.
• Set. Put into a position.
• Shift. To change the place, position, or direction of.
• Significant. Of a noticeably or measurably large amount.
• Similar. Having characteristics in common.
• Simulate. To give or assume the appearance or effect of.
• Sole. Having no sharer; being the only one.
• Source. One that provides information.
• Specific. Applying to, characterized by, or distinguishing something particular, special, or unique.
• Stable. Firmly established.
• Strategy. A careful plan or method.
• Stress. To emphasize.
• Structure. Coherent form or organization.
• Submit. Present or propose to another for review, consideration, or decision.
• Sufficient. Enough to meet the needs of a situation.
• Suggest. To mention or imply as a possibility.
• Sum. The result of adding numbers.
• Summary. An abstract, abridgment, or compendium.
• Supplement. Something that completes or makes an addition.
• Survey. A detailed critical inspection.
• Survivor. One who remains alive after death.
• Sustain. To give support or relief to.
• Symbol. Something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance.
• Task. A usually assigned piece of work often to be finished within a certain time.
• Team. A number of persons associated together in work or an activity.
• Technical. Of or relating to proficiency in a practical skill.
• Technique. A method of accomplishing a desired aim.
• Technology. The practical application of knowledge, especially in a particular area.
• Temporary. Lasting for a limited time.
• Theory. A hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation.
• Trace. Discover signs, evidence, or remains of.
• Tradition. An inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior.
• Transferable. The ability to be moved to a different place, region, or situation.
• Transit. The transportation of passengers by means of a local public transportation system.
• Transmit. To send or convey from one person or place to another.
• Transport. To transfer or convey from one place to another.
• Trend. A prevailing tendency or inclination.
• Ultimate. Last in a progression or series.
• Undergo. Submit to.
• Unique. Distinctively characteristic.
• Utilize. To make use of.
• Valid. Having legal efficacy or force.
• Vary. To make differences between items.
• Vehicle. A means of carrying or transporting something.
• Version. A form or variant of a type or original.
• Via. By way of.
• Vision. An image or concept in the imagination.
• Visual. Capable of being seen; visible.
• Welfare. The state of doing well, especially in respect to good fortune, happiness, wellbeing, or prosperity.