02 Feb Week 5 Assignment – Finance & Accounting – Senior Accountant Analysis
Note: While representative of possible situations faced by Alikay Naturals, all scenarios in this assignment are fictional.
Overview
Large discount retailers like Target and Walmart employ large teams of finance and accounting professionals to help measure and understand the financial health of the business. Financial and accounting information helps these businesses make educated financial decisions, such as whether or not to continue partnering with a retail supplier. While often smaller businesses, it is equally important for these retail suppliers to use financial and accounting data to make educated decisions, such as the best approach to gaining additional funding.
Scenario
This week, you’ll assume the role of Senior Accountant with SunsTruck Sunglasses. Senior accountants take ownership of reporting costs, profitability, margins, and expenditures for a given business. They use the principles of accounting to analyze sales information, create financial reports, make recommendations about the financial health of the company, and more. They are also responsible for training junior accounting staff.
For the last six months, SunsTruck has partnered with a discount retail store to run a pop-up sunglasses stand in their stores for a big summer promotion. Due to the high customer purchase rate, the store has requested stock for five additional stores. SunsTruck needs to increase its capacity to meet the additional demand. In order to do so, SunsTruck needs additional money.
In this assignment, you will help determine which type of financing option is best for your company and train your junior accountants on the accounting cycle and financial statements.
Instructions
Write a 2–3 page paper according to the following instructions:
Step 1: Financing
The junior accounting team has assembled a Financing Report that (a) details the criteria Shaun, the owner of SunsTruck, would like you to consider when choosing one of the options, and (b) offers three options for securing the additional funds required to meet the new order. Based on this report:
Explain the best financing option available given Shaun’s identified constraints. Support the option with reference to the course material and the Financing Report.
Note: You should complete Steps 2, 3, and 4 below after reading the material in Week 5.
Step 2: Accounting Cycle
A junior accountant is working to get everything in order for the new financing and has come to you with a question about what to do next in the accounting cycle. Read the Junior Accountant Email, which is provided in the Week 5 Assignment Resources.
Explain which step in the accounting cycle is best for the junior accountant to complete next. Support the selected step with specific reference to the course material.
Step 3: Financial Statements
A potential investor has been identified, but before they are willing to commit, they have requested information about SunsTruck’s current debt from the junior accountants.
Identify the correct financial statement for your junior accountants that will provide the investor with the information it has requested. Explain which information the identified financial statement provides that shows an investor what they need to know to make an investment.
Step 4: Financial Analysis
If you were the type of financier selected in Step 1, would you invest in SunsTruck?
Explain whether the type of financier identified in Step 1 should invest in the company based on your analysis of the Financing Report. Also support your answer with references to the readings and course materials.
This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards. For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:
Develop recommendations for a financing option, next steps in the accounting cycle, and the best financial statement to provide to an investor.
Resources
Download Resources – Finance and Accounting
