M.T. Ciaffaroni, Sailing Across - Zanichelli Editore

M.T. Ciaffaroni, Sailing Across - Zanichelli editore

LEXICON MODULE G

Affiliate: Azienda affiliata, azienda collegata.
A company in financial association with another.

Agent:Agente, rappresentante.
Person or company acting for another person or company.

Allocation: Assegnazione, riparto, distribuzione.
Appointment of goods in short supply so that all companies, when the government is the allocator, or all customers, when a company is allocator, may secure a share assigned according to their regular consumption or their comparative immediate needs.

Arrears: Arretrati.
Lateness in paying a debt or fulfilling an obligation.

Association: Associazione.
Organization of a large number of people to transact business; if not incorporated, members are liable for its debts as in a partnership.

Bankruptcy: Fallimento.
A word you don’t want to hear if a company or person owes you a lot of money. The person or company is considered bankrupt if they’re unable to pay their debts. The u.s. bankruptcy court tries to sort out the financial troubles and get creditors paid. Companies filing for protection under chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code are shut down and their assets handed over to the creditors. Under chapter 11, companies try to rework their debts and stay in business.

Board of directors:Consiglio di amministrazione.
A group of people chosen by stockholders to watch over a company and its executives, and to set overall corporate policy. Their job is to try to keep the company healthy and ensure stockholders get a good return on their money.

Business:
(1) Affari, attività imprenditoriale. A usually commercial or mercantile activity engaged in as a means of livelihood; trade, line.
(2) Impresa, azienda, ditta. A commercial or sometimes an industrial enterprise; also such enterprises.
(3) Attività commerciale. Usually economic dealings.

Business cycles: Ciclo economico.
Periodic swings in the pace of national economic activity, characterized by alternating expansion and contraction phases.

Business organization:Organizzazione aziendale.
The way the people in a business are structured to work together; the relationship of the various functional parts of a business, such as manufacturing, engineering, marketing and accounting.

Business plan: Piano volontario d’affari.
A comprehensive planning document which clearly describes the business developmental objective of an existing or proposed business. The plan outlines what and how and from where the resources needed to accomplish the objective will be obtained and utilized.

Business record: Registrazione, documentazione.
Any record that provides information on the operation of the business, especially financial information; the written documentation of the happenings in the firm.

Business strategy: Strategia aziendale.
A term used in business planning that refers to the overall scheme of masterminding the future course or direction. Strategy implies careful selection and application of resources for the most advantageous position, in anticipation of future events. Also, a trick or scheme for deceiving the competition.

Business structure: Impresa, azienda.
In business, the legal form of a business entity, i.e., sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. Less common business structures also exist, such as, Ltd., Limited Liability Company (LLC) and Public Corporation (PC).

Capital: Capitale.
Money needed to start or grow a business. This pool can come from securities offerings and retained earnings.
(1) Assets less liabilities, representing the ownership interest in a business;
(2) A stock of accumulated goods, especially at a specified time and in contrast to income received during a specified time period;
(3) Accumulated goods devoted to the production of goods;
(4) Accumulated possessions calculated to bring income.

CEO: Direttore generale.
Chief executive officer. The company officer principally responsible for activities of the company. The officer of a company with the highest ranking executive authority and often, an additional title for the chairman of the board of directors, the president, or other senior officer.

Contingent liability:Sopravvenienza passiva.
A potential obligation that may be incurred dependent upon the occurrence of a future event. Two examples are: the liability of an endorser or guarantor of a note if the primary borrower fails to pay as agreed and the liability that would be incurred if a pending lawsuit is resolved in the other party's favor.

Co-operative: Società cooperativa.
An organization owned by its members who agree to combine their resources to achieve greater results than they could achieve individually. Most common in agricultural products but also in some real estate ventures. Commonly, any group of people or businesses with common interests that join together to gain the advantage of pooled buying or selling.

Corporation:Persona giuridica.Società per azioni.
A group of persons granted a state charter legally recognizing them as a separate entity having its own rights, privileges, and liabilities distinct from those of its members. The process of incorporating should be completed with the state's secretary of state or state corporate counsel and usually requires the services of an attorney.

Demand:Domanda.
An economist's term describing the amount of a product or service people are willing to buy at each price; as opposed to supply. The aggregate desires to purchase a product or service. Also an urgent requirement or claim for financial remuneration.

Director: Amministratore.
A member of the board of directors. Also a title for one who directs; one who controls the operation of a business.

Employee:Lavoratore dipendente.
A person who does work for an employer under a verbal or written understanding where the employer gives direction as to what jobs are done, when jobs are done and, to some degree, how jobs are done. Care must be taken not to classify employees as independent contractors. To the small business firm, the result may be crucial because withholding is required of employees but not for independent contractors.

Employer: Datore di lavoro, principale
A person or company that engages other people (employees) to perform work under a verbal or written agreement.

Enterprise: Azienda, impresa.
A business firm; most often a newly-formed venture. Also in business, to show creativity, innovation or originality in a new concept or idea.

Entrepreneur: Imprenditore.
A person who undertakes the risks of starting a new business. Most often involves a new product or new service. Usually carries the connotation of creativity, vision, self-starting or venturesome. The founder of a business.

Entry: Registrazione, scrittura.
Item in a business record.

Equipment: Attrezzatura, impianto.
Physical goods used in a business, such as machinery or furniture. Equipment is used in a business during the production of income. As opposed to real estate, material or supplies. In accounting, equipment is treated as personal property.

Ergonomic:Ergonomico.
Machines and equipment, such as computers, chairs and lighting, designed to work with the human body. Ergonomic equipment is intended to reduce injuries and increase productivity.

Executive:Dirigente.
A top-level member of the management team of a company; one with the title of president, vice-president, secretary or treasurer.

Expertise: Competenza, perizia.
Aggregation of all establishments owned by a parent company. An enterprise can consist of a single, independent establishment or it can include subsidiaries or other branch establishments under the same ownership and control.

Firm: Ditta, azienda, impresa.
A general business noun describing a company and applies to all forms of business organization (corporation, partnership or proprietorship).

Fixed assets:Attività fisse, attività capitale, capitale fisso, immobilizzazioni.
A company’s non-liquid assets, such as its office building or factory.

Fixed costs:Costi fissi, spese costanti, spese fisse.
Costs that don’t vary with sales volume. Rent is a fixed cost; companies need to pay it whether they make money that month or not. Other fixed costs are insurance payments and executives’ salaries.

Franchising: Affiliazione commerciale.
A continuing relationship in which the franchiser provides a licensed privilege to the franchisee to do business, and offers assistance in organizing, training, merchandising, marketing and managing in return for a consideration. Franchising is a form of business by which the owner (franchiser) of a product, service or method obtains distribution through affiliated dealers (franchisees). The product, method or service being marketed is usually identified by the franchiser's brand name, and the holder of the privilege (franchisee) is often given exclusive access to a defined geographical area.

Fringe benefits: Benefici aggiuntivi.
Benefits provided by an employer to supplement an employee's regular salary.

General partner: Socio accomandatario.
General partners are liable for all of their partnership’s debts.

General partnership: Società in nome collettivo, società semplice.
An association of two or more people or firms that carry on a business for profit.

Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP): Principi di contabilità di uso generale.
Rules and procedures generally accepted by accountants. The rules guide them in assessing and reporting on a company’s finances.

Gross domestic product (GDP):Prodotto interno lordo.
Key indicator of an economy’s health, this is the value of all the goods and services produced by a country in a given period of time. Used to be called gross national product, or GNP.

Gross national product (GNP):Prodotto nazionale lordo.
Out-of-date name for gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is a key indicator of an economy’s health; it’s the value of all the goods and services produced by a country in a given period of time.

Inflation: Inflazione.
(1) A decline of the dollar in buying power; a progressive increase in the price of goods and services in relation to the purchasing power of the dollar.
(2) A progressive increase in the price of goods and services in relation to the purchasing power of the dollar.

Joint venture: Impresa in partecipazione, società mista.
A business association of two or more businesses or persons whereby they work together on a single project; similar to a general partnership, but limited in either scope or duration or both, such as in working on one project together. Investment in a plant, facility or project with another firm. Taxed as a partnership. In international trade, often a joint venture is mandated by national laws that prohibit majority ownership by a foreign firm.

(To) Launch: Lanciare.
Introducing a new product to market, including advertising, promotion and distribution; sometimes also includes some amount of product design and manufacture.

Liability: Responsabilità, obbligazione, passività.
The amount owed to another by a business or an individual. Characteristics: 1) represents a transfer of assets or services at a specified or determinable date; 2) the firm or individual has little or no discretion to avoid the transfer; 3) the event causing the obligation has already occurred. Liabilities are often divided into classes: short-term that are due to be paid in less than one year, and long-term that are due to be paid over a period of more than one year. In accounting, liabilities are listed on the right hand side of a balance sheet statement showing the debts of the business owed to others. As opposed to things owned (assets) or equity by the owner.

Liaison: Collegamento, legame.
Communication, contact and linking between people or groups.

Limited liability company: Società a responsabilità limitata.
A type of corporation that is owned by a limited number of shareholders in a small business. Although laws differ among the states, characteristics usually include: a board of directors is not required, transfer of shares is restricted and shares are usually evidenced only by notation on the register instead of certificates.

Limited partner:Socio accomandatore, accomandante.
An owner in a limited partnership who’s liable only up to the amount of money invested.

Limited partnership:Società in accomandita semplice.
An organization consisting of a general partner and one or more limited partners. The general partner may have little or no investment, organizes the partnership, manages the day-to-day operation, controls the operation and collects a management fee, income and capital gains. The limited partner(s) bear the largest share of the invested capital and receive income, capital gains and tax benefits. The limited partner(s) cannot participate in control of the business.

Maintenance: Manutenzione.
The care and work necessary to keep something in the usual operating condition for productive use; general repair and upkeep.

(To) Manage:Gestire, dirigere.
To control the business operations; to conduct affairs in a business; to have charge of the business.

Manager: Aministratore, direttore, dirigente.
A person who exercises the art of management; a person who directs or controls the work of other workers or a particular operation within the business.

(To) Manufacture:Fabbricazione, manifattura.
To produce goods from raw materials or other ingredients by the application of labor.

Markup:Aumento, rialzo.
It is the difference between invoice cost and selling price. It may be expressed either as a percentage of the selling price or the cost price and is supposed to cover all the costs of doing business plus a profit. Whether markup is based on the selling price or the cost price, the base is always equal to 100 percent.

Merger:Incorporazione.
A combination of two or more corporations wherein the dominant unit absorbs the passive ones, the former continuing operation usually under the same name. In a consolidation two units combine and are succeeded by a new corporation, usually with a new title.

Monopoly: Monopolio.
Monopoly Control of production and distribution of a product or service by one company (or several companies acting in concert) and characterized by lack of competition. Outlawed by the antitrust laws.

Non-profit corporations:Senza scopo di lucro.
Or simply non-profits. Organizations that don’t exist to make a profit. Usually, the groups are dedicated to charitable or educational efforts; they are, therefore, exempted from income taxes.

Organization:Organizzazione.
In a business start-up, the job of accomplishing the collective tasks needed to get the business into full operation in the intended manner. These include business planning, business structuring, financing, marketing, finding suppliers and selecting people for the various jobs. In business management, the collective relationship of all supervisors and subordinates that defines the authority and responsibility chain of command.

Organization chart:Organigramma.
A pictorial display of the relationship of supervisors and subordinates; headed by the chief officer or owner.

Outsource:Approvvigionamento da fonte esterna.
To purchase; procure. Most often outsource is used when a product or service task has previously been accomplished within the company (an inside source) but is now being purchased or is being considered for purchase from another company (an outside source).

Overhead:Spese generali.
In a business, the expenses and costs that are not directly associated with the production or sale of goods and services. The normal costs of being in business, such as office, rent, utilities, insurance, advertising, accounting and legal expenses. As opposed to the cost of goods sold that directly relate to the products or services for sale. Also called indirect costs; burden, overhead cost, operating expenses. Overhead cost see overhead.

(To) Own:Possedere.
Belonging, relating or peculiar to oneself. To hold title to a property or be in control of a sole proprietorship.

Ownership: Proprietà, diritto di proprietà.
The person who owns property or a business entity. In business, the owner is usually the person in control of a sole proprietorship or the person who owns more than 50% of a corporation or a partnership. In property, the one who holds title.

Paperwork:Lavoro d’ufficio, riempire moduli.
The record keeping chores of maintaining a business. Paperwork is literally the work associated with documenting business activities on paper for later recall.

Parent company:Società madre, società di controllo.
A company that owns a majority stake (51% or more) of another company's shares. It may have its own operations, or it may have been set up solely for the purpose of owning the operating company.

Partnership:Società di persone, società in nome collettivo.
The Uniform Partnership Act that is in force in most states defines a partnership as "an association of two or more persons who carry on a business for profit as co-owners." A partnership can hold title to real property in the name of the partnership, holding by tenancy in partnership. One tax advantage of this form of ownership is that the partnership itself does not pay taxes. However, the partnership must file a partnership information return (Form 1065) showing how much income the partnership distributes to each partner (Schedule K-1). Then each partner is responsible for paying his or her own tax.

Personnel:Personale, reparto personale.
The people resources of a business. Sometimes, the staff function that is responsible for the people interests in a business.

Plant: Impianto, stabilimento
An asset consisting of land, buildings, machinery, natural resources and furniture used for the manufacture of goods; a FACTORY. In a limited sense, plant is used for only the land and buildings or for description of all fixed assets.

Primary commodities: Materiali di base, materiali primari.
Raw materials; commodities in the unprocessed state, such as iron ore and grain.

Producer: Produttore.
A manufacturer; a person or company that works to produce goods (new products) from raw materials and articles purchased from others. As opposed to wholesaler, retailer or consumer.

Production: Produzione.
The creation of economic value, particularly goods and services for sale to others; to manufacture a product.

Productivity:Produttività.
Productivity measures how much work you get done in a given period of time.

Proprietorship:Impresa individuale, proprietà.
The most common legal form of business ownership; about 85 percent of all small businesses are proprietorships. The liability of the owner is unlimited in this form of ownership.

(To) Purchase: Acquistare.
To obtain goods or services in exchange for money; to procure; to buy; to acquire products or services not available within the business.

Purchase order: Ordinazione di acquisto.
A written authorization prepared by a buyer for the acquisition of goods or services at a specified price. Once accepted by the seller, the purchase order becomes a legally binding purchase contract. A purchase order describes the features or characteristics of a product or service important to its purchase.

Raw materials:Materie prime.
Raw as in unfinished. The stuff finished products are made of.

Recession:Recessione.
A time when business is slow, people lose jobs and sitting presidents worry about their re-election prospects as people tend to blame them for economic woes. Technically speaking, six months or more of a decline in the gross domestic product.

Record:
(v) Registrare. To put in writing; to store information for retrieval at a later date.
(n) Registrazione. Any physical thing that contains information as evidence of something that occurred previously. Records are not limited to paper records.