Commerce

This 12th edition of Commerce is designed for self-study, though it is of equal value to schools and colleges.
Lecturers and teachers will find that the book meet their requirements for the 16+ General Certificate in Secondary Education and comparable syllabuses in Scotland, BTEC examinations and other similar examinations.
This book is organized into 24 chapters. These chapters cover all the basic commercial activities in modern free enterprise societies and explain simply and clearly the activities performed by wholesalers, retailers, importers and exporters in the distribution and exchange of goods. They also describe the activities of bankers, insurance companies and transport organizations and discuss the important aspects of communication with respect to commerce. This edition also updated some of the text using the most up-to-date documents.
This book will be of interest to commerce students and teachers and all others interested in understanding commercial activities.

Auteur

Geoff Whitehead is one of the original Made Simple authors and has sold over 2 million Made Simple books. Before writing full-time he was Head of Professional Studies at Thurrock College, and he now runs a small business consultancy for one of the main publishers of account books. With day-to-day advice at a grass roots level he is still 'keeping it simple' for 350,000 book-keepers using the system each year.

Contenu

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

1 Commerce in the Framework of Production

1.1 Introduction

1.2 The Basic Wants of Mankind

1.3 The Sophisticated Wants of an Advanced Society

1.4 Goods and Services

1.5 Satisfying Human Wants - Methods of Production

1.6 Direct Production - Satisfying Our Wants Entirely Unaided by Other People

1.7 Indirect Production - Producing by Specialization

1.8 The Advantages of Specialization

1.9 Specialization and the Growth of Surplus Output

1.10 Surplus Goods and the Provision of Services

1.11 The Three Types of Production

1.12 Commerce - Impersonal Tertiary Services

1.13 A Page to Test You on the Framework of Production

1.14 Exercises: Commerce in the Framework of Production

2 Types of Business Unit in Production and Commerce

2.1 Starting a Business

2.2 Types of Business Unit

2.3 Sole-Trader Enterprises

2.4 Partnerships

2.5 Limited Partnerships

2.6 Private Limited Companies and Public Limited Companies

2.7 The Absorption of Small Businesses - Holding Companies

2.8 The Multinational Corporation (the International Company)

2.9 Workers' Co-operatives (Producers' Co-operatives)

2.10 Non-profitmaking Units

2.11 The Public-Enterprise Sector of the Economy

2.12 A Page to Test You on Business Units

2.13 Exercises: Types of Business Unit

3 Retail Trade - Making Goods Available to the Final Consumer

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Meaning of the Word 'Retail'

3.3 Definition of Retail Trade

3.4 Persons Engaged in Retail Trade

3.5 The Functions of the Retailer

3.6 Exercises: The Functions of the Retailer

3.7 Types of Retail Outlet

3.8 Retailers without Shops

3.9 Retailers with Shops

3.10 Retailers who are not really Retailers

3.11 A Page to Test You on Retail Trade

3.12 Exercises: The Pattern of Retail Trade

4 The Changing Pattern of Retail Trade

4.1 Introduction

4.2 The Causes of the Changes in Retail Trade

4.3 The Effect of the Branding of Goods on Retail Trade

4.4 Effect of the Technological Revolution

4.5 Effect of the Employment of Women on Retail Trade

4.6 Effect on Retail Trade of a More Even Distribution of Wealth

4.7 The Abolition of Resale Price Maintenance

4.8 Large Scale in the Retail Trade

4.9 Co-operative Trading Today

4.10 The Pattern of Retail Trade Today

4.11 Retailers' Reply to Competition from Large-scale Outlets

4.12 Other Aspects of Modern Trading

4.13 Trading Stamps

4.14 The 'Hire-rather-than-buy' Retailer

4.15 Will the Small Trader Ever Disappear?

4.16 A Page to Test You on Retail Trade

4.17 Exercises: The Changing Pattern of Retail Trade

5 Hire-purchase Trading and Consumer Credit

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Duties of The Director General of Fair Trading

5.3 Types of Credit Controlled by the Consumer Credit Act, 1974

5.4 The Advantages of Consumer Credit

5.5 The Protection of the Consumer in Britain

5.6 Organizing Prosperity - Controls over Consumer Credit

5.7 A Page to Test You on Consumer Credit

5.8 Exercises: Consumer Credit

6 The Wholesale Trade

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Position of the Wholesaler in the Chain of Commerce

6.3 Evolution of the Middleman

6.4 Functions of the Wholesaler

6.5 Services to the Manufacturer

6.6 Services to the Retailer

6.7 Services to the Public

6.8 Types of Wholesaler

6.9 Warehousing

6.10 Organization of a Wholesale Warehouse

6.11 The Bad Reputation of 'Middlemen'

6.12 Should We Eliminate the Middleman?

6.13 Achieving Economies in Distribution

6.14 A Page to Test You on the Wholesale Trade

6.15 Exercises: The Wholesale Trade

7 Import Trade

7.1 Introduction

7.2 The Pattern of Import Trade

7.3 Specialists in the Import Trade - Merchants, Agents and Brokers

7.4 Restrictions on Free Trade in Imports

7.5 Documentation of Import Cargoes

7.6 Membership of the European Community (EC)

7.7 Re-exports, Transhipment and Process Inwards Relief

7.8 Bonded Warehouses (Tax Warehouses)

7.9 Imports Arriving from Non-EC Countries

7.10 A Page to Test You on Import Trade

7.11 Exercises: Import Trade

8 Markets

8.1 Definition

8.2 Types of Market

8.3 Methods of Dealing

8.4 'Spot' Markets and Futures Markets

8.5 A Page to Test You on Markets

8.6 Exercises: Markets

9 The Baltic Exchange

9.1 Introduction

9.2 The Freight Market

9.3 The Baltic Air Charter Association

9.4 Commodity Activities

9.5 Ancillary Activities

9.6 The Policy of the Baltic Exchange towards Educational Visits

9.7 A Page to Test You on the Baltic Exchange

9.8 Exercises: The Baltic Exchange

10 The Export Trade

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Problems Facing the Exporter

10.3 The Channels of Export Trade

10.4 The Finance of Foreign Trade

10.5 Methods of Payment in Overseas Trade

10.6 Forward Exchange Dealings

10.7 The NCM Group (which took over the short term business of the Export Credit Guarantee Department)

10.8 Government Aid for Exporters

10.9 Documentation of Overseas Trade

10.10 Formfill - an Electronic Form Filler

10.11 A Page to Test You on Export Trade

10.12 Exercises: The Export Trade

11 Value Added Tax

11.1 Taxing Production and Trade

11.2 Office Activities Made Necessary by Value Added Tax

11.3 VAT Calculations

11.4 VAT and the 'Single European Market'

11.5 A Page to Test You on VAT

11.6 Exercises: Value Added Tax

12 The General Framework of the Banking System

12.1 Definition of a Bank

12.2 The Basic Functions of Banking

12.3 How the Basic Functions of Banking Were Developed

12.4 The English Banking System

12.5 Commercial or Joint-Stock Banks

12.6 Importance of the Commercial Banks

12.7 Liquidity and the Banks

12.8 How Banks Earn a Living

12.9 A Page to Test You on the General Framework of Banking

12.10 Exercises: The General Framework of Banking

13 The Services of the B…