There are several terms used in the business world that only few people know. In this glossary, you will find a list of terms frequently used in business.
Accounting
Noun
Accounting involves the systematic recording and reporting of business financial transactions.
Example: Without my accounting department, my company wouldn't go far.
fr: Comptabilité
Asset
Noun
“Assets” refers to your business’ cumulative financial holdings. These are usually classified as current or fixed. Current, or short-term, assets include cash or inventory. Fixed, or long-term assets, include equipment or land.
Example: The assets of my company includes a lot of cash.
fr: Actifs
B2B
Noun
The term B2B (business to business) refers to business arrangements or trade between different businesses, rather than between businesses and the public.
Example: I want to start a B2B company.
fr: B2B
B2C
Noun
The term B2C (business to consumer) refers to the process of selling products and services directly between a business and consumers who are the end-users of its products or services.
Example: Provigo is a B2C company.
fr: B2C
Balance sheet
Noun
This key financial document provides a snapshot of business assets, liabilities and owner’s equity.
Example: My accountant made a mistake on the balance sheet.
fr: Bilan
Bankruptcy
Noun
This federal law is used as a tool for businesses or individuals who are having severe financial challenges. It provides a plan for reduction and repayment of debts over time or an opportunity to completely eliminate the majority of the outstanding debts.
Example: My company went through a bankruptcy because of the Coronavirus.
fr: Faillite
Commission
Noun
In business, a commission is the compensation paid to the person or entity based on the sale of a product; commonly calculated on a percentage basis.
Example: I made a lot of money last month thanks to my commission.
fr: Commission
Customer service
Noun
It's the assistance and advice provided by a company to those people who buy or use its products or services.
Example: The customer service of Zara is known to be really bad.
fr: Service à la clientèle
Depreciation
Noun
Depreciation is an accounting and tax concept used to estimate the loss of value of assets over time.
Example: I can't sell my car with a good price because of the depreciation.
fr: Dépréciation
Director
Noun
A director is a person who is in charge of an activity, department, or organization.
Example: The director of the company paid us a visit yesterday.
fr: Directeur
Entrepreneur
Noun
An entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business venture; someone who recognizes and pursues opportunities others may not see as clearly, and finds the resources necessary to accomplish his or her goals.
Example: My career as an entrepreneur is going really well.
fr: Entrepreneur
Expense
Noun
An expense is the cost of operations that a company incurs to generate revenue.
Example: The expenses of my company tripled in the last year.
fr: Dépenses
Liabilities
Noun
Liabilities are debts your business owes another person or entity. Like assets, you’ll have to define liabilities as current or long-term. Current, or short-term, liabilities might include an expense payable to a supplier. Many business loans are long-term debts.
Example: The company has liabilities to its employees
fr: Passifs
Marketing
Noun
Marketing refers to the set of planned activities designed to positively influence the perceptions and purchase choices of individuals and organizations.
Example: The marketing department is doing a great job in finding new clients.
fr: Marketing
Net loss
Noun
If your total expenses exceed your overall revenues, you have a net loss. The risk of a net loss is one of many strong reasons to keep company costs under control.
Example: The total net loss of my company is really something I should look out for.
fr: Perte nette
Net profit
Noun
Net profit represents total revenues less total expenses.
Example: The net profit my company generated were more than I expected.
fr: Bénéfice net
Return on investment
Noun
Your Return on Investment, or ROI, shows how much you gained or lost on a business investment relative to how much you spent on it. Calculate ROI by dividing net profit by the cost of the investment.
Example: The return of investment I generated with my last investment wasn't worth it.
fr: Retour sur investissement
Revenue
Noun
Revenue refers to the income you get from a business activity in a given time. You can calculate earnings by multiplying the per-unit cost of goods or services by the number of units sold.
Example: The revenue of my business doubled in the last 5 years.
fr: Revenue
Variance
Noun
Variance is a calculation of the difference between plan and actual results, used by analysts to manage and track the impact of planning and budgeting.
Example: The variance between the plan and the result was too great.