Free learning resources

Business Learning Resources

Access our comprehensive business glossary and financial learning tools. Master essential business terminology and calculations to enhance your entrepreneurial journey.

100+ Business Terms
Financial Formulas
Searchable & Filterable

Showing 100 of 100 terms

Business Model
Business & Strategy

A company's plan for making a profit by specifying products/services, target markets, and costs.

Value Proposition
Business & Strategy

The unique benefit a product or service provides to customers.

Revenue Stream
Business & Strategy

Sources from which a business earns money from its customers.

Competitive Advantage
Business & Strategy

A condition that puts a company in a superior position over its competitors.

Business Plan
Business & Strategy

A written document outlining a company's goals and the strategy to achieve them.

Go-to-Market Strategy
Business & Strategy

The plan used to deliver a product to end customers and gain competitive advantage.

Market Segmentation
Business & Strategy

Dividing a market into distinct groups with common needs or characteristics.

Pivot
Business & Strategy

A significant change in business direction based on market feedback.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Business & Strategy

A basic version of a product used to validate core ideas with early adopters.

Product-Market Fit
Business & Strategy

When a product satisfies a strong market demand.

Elevator Pitch
Business & Strategy

A brief, persuasive speech to spark interest in your business.

Strategic Alliance
Business & Strategy

An agreement between businesses to pursue mutual goals.

Bootstrapping
Business & Strategy

Starting a business with little to no external funding.

Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Business & Strategy

A factor that differentiates a product from its competitors.

B2B (Business to Business)
Business & Strategy

A business model selling products/services to other businesses.

ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)
Finance & Metrics

Total revenue divided by the number of users in a period.

LTV (Lifetime Value)
Finance & Metrics

Average revenue a customer generates during their engagement.

CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
Finance & Metrics

Cost to acquire a new customer.

Formula:
Total Marketing/Sales Spend ÷ New Customers Acquired
Burn Rate
Finance & Metrics

Monthly rate at which a company spends capital.

Runway
Finance & Metrics

Time until a startup runs out of money.

Formula:
Cash ÷ Monthly Burn Rate
EBITDA
Finance & Metrics

Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization.

Gross Margin
Finance & Metrics

Revenue minus cost of goods sold.

Formula:
(Revenue - COGS) ÷ Revenue
Operating Margin
Finance & Metrics

Operating income divided by revenue.

Formula:
Operating Income ÷ Revenue
Churn Rate
Finance & Metrics

Percentage of customers who stop doing business over a period.

Formula:
(Customers Lost During Period ÷ Customers at Start of Period) × 100
MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue)
Finance & Metrics

Predictable revenue a business expects each month.

Break-Even Point
Finance & Metrics

The point where total revenue equals total costs.

Formula:
Fixed Costs ÷ (Selling Price per Unit - Variable Cost per Unit)
Cash Flow
Finance & Metrics

Net amount of cash being transferred in and out of a business.

Working Capital
Finance & Metrics

Current assets minus current liabilities.

Deferred Revenue
Finance & Metrics

Advance payments a business receives for products or services to be delivered in the future.

Accounts Receivable
Finance & Metrics

Money owed by customers for goods/services delivered.

LLC (Limited Liability Company)
Legal & Regulatory

A corporate structure that protects its owners from personal liability.

Private Limited Company
Legal & Regulatory

A privately held small business entity.

GST (Goods and Services Tax)
Legal & Regulatory

Indirect tax levied on supply of goods and services in India.

Compliance
Legal & Regulatory

Following applicable laws and regulations.

IPR (Intellectual Property Rights)
Legal & Regulatory

Legal rights given to creators for their inventions and artistic works.

Trademark
Legal & Regulatory

A recognizable sign/design identifying a product or service.

Copyright
Legal & Regulatory

Legal right that grants the creator of original work exclusive rights.

Patent
Legal & Regulatory

Exclusive right granted for an invention.

FSSAI License
Legal & Regulatory

License required for food businesses in India.

DSC (Digital Signature Certificate)
Legal & Regulatory

A secure digital key used for electronic document authentication.

Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
Legal & Regulatory

A legal contract protecting confidential information.

Articles of Incorporation
Legal & Regulatory

Document filed to legally document a company's creation.

Business License
Legal & Regulatory

Legal authorization to operate a business.

Shareholders Agreement
Legal & Regulatory

Contract outlining shareholder rights and obligations.

MoA (Memorandum of Association)
Legal & Regulatory

Defines a company's relationship with the external world.

Conversion Rate
Marketing & Sales

Percentage of users who complete a desired action.

Formula:
Conversions ÷ Total Visitors
Bounce Rate
Marketing & Sales

Percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page.

CPL (Cost per Lead)
Marketing & Sales

Marketing cost to acquire a lead.

Formula:
Marketing Spend ÷ Number of Leads
Lead
Marketing & Sales

A potential customer who has shown interest in your product/service.

Lead-to-Customer Rate
Marketing & Sales

Leads that convert to paying customers.

Formula:
Number of Customers ÷ Number of Leads × 100
Retention Rate
Marketing & Sales

Percentage of customers who continue to use the product over time.

Formula:
((Customers at End - New Customers) ÷ Customers at Start) × 100
CLV (Customer Lifetime Value)
Marketing & Sales

Same as LTV.

Email Open Rate
Marketing & Sales

Percentage of sent emails that are opened.

Formula:
(Emails Opened ÷ Emails Sent) × 100
Upselling
Marketing & Sales

Encouraging customers to purchase a more expensive item.

Cross-selling
Marketing & Sales

Encouraging customers to buy related or complementary items.

Brand Positioning
Marketing & Sales

How a brand is perceived in the minds of the target market.

Marketing Funnel
Marketing & Sales

The journey customers go through from awareness to purchase.

Customer Persona
Marketing & Sales

A detailed description of a typical target customer.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Marketing & Sales

A measure of customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Referral Rate
Marketing & Sales

Percentage of new customers acquired via existing customers.

Formula:
Referred Customers ÷ Total Customers × 100
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
Operations & HR

A measurable value that indicates how well an objective is being achieved.

OKR (Objectives and Key Results)
Operations & HR

A goal-setting framework used to define measurable goals.

SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
Operations & HR

Set of step-by-step instructions for operations.

Onboarding
Operations & HR

Process of integrating new employees.

Turnover Rate
Operations & HR

Rate at which employees leave a company.

Employee Engagement
Operations & HR

Emotional commitment of employees to the company.

Time to Hire
Operations & HR

Time taken to fill a job position.

Formula:
Date of Offer Acceptance - Date Job was Posted
Offer Acceptance Rate
Operations & HR

Percentage of job offers accepted.

Formula:
(Job Offers Accepted ÷ Total Offers Made) × 100
Remote Work Policy
Operations & HR

Guidelines for employees working remotely.

Freelancer Agreement
Operations & HR

Contract for temporary, project-based workers.

Procurement
Operations & HR

Process of acquiring goods and services.

Shift Planning
Operations & HR

Scheduling employee work shifts.

Exit Interview
Operations & HR

Final interview to understand reasons for an employee's departure.

HRIS (Human Resources Information System)
Operations & HR

A system used to collect and manage HR data.

360-Degree Feedback
Operations & HR

A performance review system involving feedback from all directions.

Angel Investor
Startup & Investment

An individual who invests early-stage capital in startups.

Venture Capital
Startup & Investment

Financing provided to startups with high growth potential.

Seed Funding
Startup & Investment

Initial capital used to start a business.

Series A/B/C Funding
Startup & Investment

Stages of venture capital fundraising.

Equity Dilution
Startup & Investment

Reduction in ownership percentage due to new shares issued.

Cap Table
Startup & Investment

Table showing company ownership, equity dilution, and value.

SAFE Note
Startup & Investment

Simple Agreement for Future Equity.

Term Sheet
Startup & Investment

Non-binding agreement outlining the terms of an investment.

Valuation
Startup & Investment

The estimated worth of a company.

Exit Strategy
Startup & Investment

A plan for the founders/investors to sell their stake or exit the business.

Incubator
Startup & Investment

Organization that helps startups grow by offering resources.

Accelerator
Startup & Investment

A program that fast-tracks startups through mentoring and funding.

Bridge Round
Startup & Investment

Funding between two formal investment rounds.

Convertible Note
Startup & Investment

A loan that converts into equity at a later stage.

Due Diligence
Startup & Investment

The investigation of a business before an investment or acquisition.

API (Application Programming Interface)
Technology & Product

A set of rules that allows software to interact.

SaaS (Software as a Service)
Technology & Product

Software hosted on the cloud and delivered via the internet.

MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
Technology & Product

Basic product with core features used for early testing.

Uptime
Technology & Product

Percentage of time a system is operational.

Downtime
Technology & Product

Time when a system is unavailable.

Deployment Frequency
Technology & Product

Rate at which software updates are released.

MTTR (Mean Time to Recovery)
Technology & Product

Average time to restore service after failure.

Formula:
Total Downtime ÷ Number of Incidents
Bug Rate
Technology & Product

Frequency of software bugs reported over a period.

Version Control
Technology & Product

System that records code changes (e.g., Git).

Feature Adoption Rate
Technology & Product

Percentage of users using a new product feature.

Formula:
Number of Users Using Feature ÷ Total Active Users × 100
Why Use Our Glossary

Master Business Terminology

Understanding business terminology is crucial for entrepreneurial success. Our comprehensive glossary helps you speak the language of business.

Learn Key Terms

Master essential business vocabulary used by investors and entrepreneurs.

Financial Formulas

Understand important calculations for business planning and analysis.

Industry Insights

Get context and real-world applications for each business term.

Quick Reference

Easily search and find definitions when you need them most.

Ready to Apply Your Knowledge?

Now that you understand the terminology, take our assessments or get a professional business plan to put your knowledge into action.

Take Free Assessment