What is Capital? | Definition (2024)

Capital (definition)

Capital is the money used to build, run, or grow a business. It can also refer to the net worth (or book value) of a business.

Capital most commonly refers to the money used by a business either to meet upcoming expenses, or to invest in new assets and projects.

To learn instead about the net worth of a business, see book value.

Why capital matters

A business needs to have enough capital to meet all its upcoming expenses. This is called working capital. If it doesn't have enough working capital, it will default on bill payments and may have to stop trading.

Most businesses like to have more than enough working capital. The extra capital can be invested in improvements that might help grow the business.

See related terms

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Disclaimer

This glossary is for small business owners. The definitions are written with their requirements in mind. More detailed definitions can be found in accounting textbooks or from an accounting professional. Xero does not provide accounting, tax, business or legal advice.

What is Capital?  |  Definition (2024)

FAQs

What is Capital? | Definition? ›

Capital is typically cash or liquid assets being held or obtained for expenditures. In a broader sense, the term may be expanded to include all of a company's assets that have monetary value, such as its equipment, real estate, and inventory. But when it comes to budgeting, capital is cash flow. Open a New Bank Account.

What is capital in answers? ›

Capital is anything that expands a business's capacity to produce value. It can utilize funding to build the worth of the business's monetary resources. By and large, business capital incorporates monetary resources held by an organization that it can use to develop and build monetary stability.

What is the definition of a capital? ›

Capital is a broad term for anything that gives its owner value or advantage, like a factory and its equipment, intellectual property like patents, or a company's or person's financial assets. Even though money itself can be called capital, the word is usually used to describe money used to make things or invest.

What does enough capital mean? ›

Capital is what we call the money that goes in. A business needs to have enough capital to meet all its upcoming expenses. This is called working capital. If it doesn't have enough working capital, it will default on bill payments and may have to stop trading.

What is capital What does it tell you? ›

Typically, capital refers to the money on a company's balance sheet available for operations or expansion. This capital could be equity capital, debt capital, or working capital based on how the company acquired the funds and how they intend to use them. And for a financial firm, that can include trading capital.

What is capital in simple sentence? ›

Capital is money that you use to start a business. They provide capital for the start-up of small businesses. Companies are having difficulty in raising capital. Capital is money that you use to start a business.

What is the definition of capital in history? ›

It referred to the greatest height or degree, like a capital crime, a capital enemy, capital wounds, and a seat of government (all between 1400 and 1600). At the same time capital developed toward an important sum of money. Fernand Braudel found this sense of the word in Italian as far back as 1211.

What is capital and why is it important? ›

Capital is the money or wealth needed to produce goods and services. In the most basic terms, it is money. All businesses must have capital in order to purchase assets and maintain their operations.

What is enough working capital? ›

Although many factors may affect the size of your working capital line of credit, a rule of thumb is that it shouldn't exceed 10% of your company's revenues.

What does not enough capital mean? ›

“ - Let's begin with the money needed to start a business. Too many new businesses start their business without enough capital. They just don't have enough money in the bank to support them while their cash flows get up to speed.

What is the definition of capital quizlet? ›

capital. definition: any human-made resource that is used to create other goods or services.

What is capital in a school? ›

Educational capital refers to educational goods that are converted into commodities to be bought, sold, withheld, traded, consumed, and profited from in the educational system.

How do you solve for capital? ›

List of working capital formulas
  1. Working capital = current assets – current liabilities.
  2. Net working capital = current assets (minus cash) - current liabilities (minus debt).
  3. Operating working capital = current assets – non-operating current assets.
Jun 9, 2023

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