Lois Kent Has Owned and Managed the Operations of a Small

question 151

Essay

Lois Kent has owned and managed the operations of a small chain of sporting goods stores for the past two years.She has asked her administrative assistant to provide her with some annual reports of other companies that sell sporting goods as well as some published reports showing norms for the sporting goods industry so that Lois can compare the financial ratios of her company with those of other companies that sell sporting goods.Discuss the limitations of using comparisons with other companies and industry norms,which Lois needs to remember.

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Definitions:

Prepaid Rent Expense

An account representing rent payments made in advance for future periods, which is gradually expensed over the benefit period.

Contra-Asset

An asset account where the balance is expected to be a debit balance but is instead a credit balance, such as accumulated depreciation.

Worksheet

A spreadsheet used by accountants to prepare adjusting entries, financial statements, and to ensure the accounts balance before closing.

Accountant

A professional who performs accounting functions such as audits or financial statement analysis and is proficient in financial reporting and regulation.