Bandwidth
Data transfer capacity of transmission of a digital communications system, measured in bits per second.
Beauty parades
The accepted way of providing companies with a choice of providers of financial and professional services. It normally involves a short-list of potential suppliers being drawn up and invited to pitch for business.
Big 4
Top 4 accountancy firms: Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
BIMBO
Buy-in-management-buy-out. A combination of an MBI and an MBO. In a BIMBO, an entrepreneurial manager buys into a company and teams up with members of the incumbent management team to run it as an independent business.
BINGO
Buy-in growth-opportunity. An MBI where a significant proportion of the funding raised goes toward growing the business.
Bought deals
In a traditional MBO the incumbent team of managers normally negotiates direct with the vendor of the business - their former employer - at the same time as reaching agreement with an investment institution to back them. Recently, however, many MBOs have been financed by a "bought" deal. This is where the investor is the principal and negotiates directly with the vendor, then works out arrangements with the management team.
Break-even point
The level of sales where a company's gross margins just cover its costs.
Burn rate
The rate at which you are using up your cash. Divide what you have left by this and you know how long you have to go!
Business plan
Detailed description of the plans of a new business, or of the expansion plans of an existing business, together with financial projections.
Buy and build
An investment made in a business with the intention of acquiring further businesses in order to build the value of the original investment.
Back to basics
Selling non-core activities. This occurs when a company concentrates on its core activities and sells parts of the business which are not central, hence, back to basics.