Pipeline In Finance: What Is It, Working, Importance, And More
A pipeline in finance is a series of discrete stages that describe progress toward a long-term goal. However, the definition of the term changes with different organizations, as they have their own variations on the term. Based on the company, it can be a sales pipeline, R&D pipeline, acquisition pipeline, etc. The term also applies to those companies that faced restructuring so as to avoid double taxation.
In this article, you will learn about pipelines in finance and how it works for businesses. Here, you will also learn about how different types of businesses deal with their own pipelines. Apart from that, we will also discuss the meaning of the sales pipeline and the various stages of the sales pipeline in business. Hence, to learn more about pipelines, read on through to the end of the article.
What Is Pipeline in Finance?
Investopedia states –
“In finance, the term pipeline is used to describe progress toward a long-term goal that involves a series of discrete stages. For example, private equity (PE) firms will use the term “acquisition pipeline” to refer to a series of companies they have flagged as potential acquisition targets. This pipeline would include several stages, such as industry research, lead generation, negotiations, due diligence, and closing.”
The pipeline works as per the pipeline theory. The theory works with the idea that any investment firm or a company that passes all its returns to its clients must not pay taxes like regular companies. This theory is also known as conduit theory, and these types of companies are called conduits.
For example, if a particular investment firm passes its income directly to its investors, then the investors pay taxes like individuals. Hence, if the government (or IRS) taxes the company again, then it would be taxing the same income twice. The pipeline theory states that those companies must not be considered for taxation.
However, in other cases, regular companies face double taxation. They pay taxes in the case on the company’s income and also the income on distributions they pay to shareholders. Hence, this issue comes under considerable debate from time to time.
Pipeline in Finance: How Does It Work?
As already discussed, in most cases, the company’s pipeline in finance works as per the pipeline theory.
According to Investopedia,
“The pipeline theory sustains the idea that an investment firm that passes all returns on to clients should not be taxed like regular companies. Capital gains, interest, and dividends as returns are key concepts to understand the pipeline theory. The pipeline theory is also referred to as the conduit theory.”
Companies that seek tax advantages as per the pipeline theory are also called pipeline companies. If the company passes all its returns to its shareholders, they must not come under taxation like regular companies.
If a company adheres to this standard, they get an exemption from corporate income taxes. The premise they use is that they are effectively an investment pipeline. This is because the company passes its income directly to its investors.
In other cases, experts use the pipeline as a metaphor for describing the progress of a company toward achieving its long-term goal. Hence, it describes the ongoing process of the company.
Consider the acquisition pipeline of a private equity firm. In this case, the pipeline might not end because it is always facing new deals once the old ones face completion.
What Is A Sales Pipeline? (A Popular Pipeline In Finance)
According to HubSpot.com,
“A sales pipeline is a representation of how a prospect moves through every stage of your sales process. A prospect moves through your sales pipeline by completing specific actions which are depicted visually in your CRM.”
For every company, there sales processes are different. The processes also change with differences in products. Hence, every company needs a unique sales pipeline that reflects the buyer’s journey in the best way possible.
The company makes each prospect move through the sales pipeline at different rates. They do it by considering the level of urgency, interest, and the amount of research behind a product or service. In some cases, certain prospects even skip stages in the pipeline. In cases like these, you will need to skip stages to deal with the prospect as well.
Hence, with the help of a proper sales pipeline, you will also be able to determine what stage of the sales process your prospects are at. Furthermore, you will also be able to find out the number of sales you will be able to close within a given timeframe. Here, the sales pipeline allows representatives and managers to forecast revenue better.
What Are The Stages Of Sales Pipeline?
The following are the major stages of a sales pipeline:
1. Prospecting: With this process, the business lets potential customers discover the company and its products and services. The business uses ads, promotional activities, and public relations.
2. Lead Qualification: The company offers resources and information to the lead to move them downstream. If the prospect wants to learn more, the company offers more lead magnets.
3. Demonstration or Meeting: Later, the sales reps schedule a demo or meeting with the prospect of the product or the service. Here, the business evaluates whether there is a strong case for the business to close the sale or not.
4. Proposal: Here, the company makes its case about how it can address the needs and demands of the customers.
5. Commitment and Negotiation: Here, the company discusses the expanding or shrinking scope of work. In this case, the company adjusts prices to manage expectations. The goal is to come to an agreement at last.
6. Closing the Sale: Here, the salesperson closes the sale and makes way for order fulfillment.
7. Post-Purchase Interaction: This includes offering exceptional service even after the sale, like customer service or asking the customer for feedback and other services.
Wrapping Up
Hope this article was helpful for you in getting a better idea of how a pipeline in finance works. You can see that the term has different meanings in different cases, based on the situation of the business. Do you have more information to offer? Consider sharing them with us in the comments section below.
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Gather Necessary Data If you want to calculate pro rata, you will mainly need to gather three data points - the number of “true” items in place, the maximum quality of total items, and the quality of related items. Consider a situation where a tenant pays rent for 15 days in October. Hence, the number of “true” items in the rent is 15. However, the maximum quantity of total items amounts to 30 (the number of days in September). The quantity of related items, in this case, is $600, which is nothing but the monthly payment of rent. 2. Calculate Pro Rata Share To calculate the pro rata share, you will have to divide the number of “true” items in place by the maximum quantity of total items. Using the same example as above, you will need to calculate 15/30 (for the month of September), and you will get 50%. This percentage is the portion of rent that the tenant owes to the landlord. 3. Calculate Pro Rata Distribution To calculate pro rata distribution, you will need to multiply the pro rata share with the quantity of related items. In the example, the pro rata share came out to be 50%, and the quantity of related items is the monthly rent’s monetary value, which is $600. Once you multiply both, you get 50% of $600, that is $300. This is the amount of the rent that the tenant owes to the landlord. How Does Pro Rata Work? According to Investopedia, “Pro rata calculations can be used in many areas, including determining dividend payments, which are cash payments by corporations paid to shareholders. In insurance, pro rata is used to determine the amount of premium due for a policy that only covers a partial term. Allocating the appropriate portion of an annual interest rate to a shorter time frame can also be done via pro rata.” Basically, you can evaluate the proportionate allocation of a fixed amount. 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Fullerton is similar to other Indian financial institutions like Navi, PayMe India, and LoanTap. Fullerton India Personal Loans Fullerton India is widely renowned for providing personal loans to account holders at lower-than-average interest rates. As long as you are eligible for Fullerton India personal loans and you are a salaried employee, you will get such loans quickly. All the procedures of this company are completely transparent to ensure that there are no hidden charges or secret terms and conditions in place. In addition, most of the Fullerton loan payment solutions can be customized by you to an extent. Maximum Loan AmountUpto INR 25,00,000Repayment TenureMinimum 12 months, maximum 60 monthsInterest RateStarting from 17%Processing FeesUpto 6% of the total loan amountPrepayment ChargesUpto 7% of the total loan amount Why Should You Apply For Fullerton India Personal Loan? Some of the benefits of applying for a Fullerton India personal loan are: The application process for this loan is 100% digital - no paperwork is required.These personal loans are free of any collateral. Repayment tenures for these personal loans are flexible. Since these are personal loans, the reasons for applying for this loan can be anything. Required Documents To apply for this loan, you need the following documents: A filled application form that is also digitally signed. 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Credit Card Frauds and What You Can Do to Avoid Them
As of 2021, the most common payment method out of all the fraud reports in the US was credit cards. In 2020, when the world was battling COVID-19, there were a total of 459,297 cases of such fraud. Most of these fraud victims were between the ages of 30 and 39, the target demographic for credit card issuers. As a result, theft by credit card fraud increased by almost 45% compared to 2019. Credit card fraud is one of the biggest threats today’s eCommerce industry faces. No one’s bank account is entirely safe from these perils, from credit card theft to credit card data breaches. A card issuer does their best to stop offline and online transactions from a stolen credit card whenever they suspect fraud. It’s also possible to recover funds from credit card fraud via a funds recovery company. These companies can easily back you up as long as you have sufficient evidence. However, you to be vigilant as well regarding this issue. So, here are a few things you can do to avoid credit card fraud. Never Save Your Credit Card Details In 2021, Google sent millions of users a chilling email when it told them their passwords had been compromised. The data breach exposed millions of users’ saved login and payment credentials. You often save your credit card information on various websites. The purpose is that you don’t have to re-enter the same details the next time you want to buy something from them. However, hackers can access your information when they manage to breach the website’s security measures. As a result, your credit card information is no longer safe. It might already be too late by the time you get to know it. Scan Your Computer and Phone for Virus and Malware The number of online transactions reaches the million mark almost every day. Most of these are credit card transactions, where people are buying stuff online. Since you’re either using your mobile or PC for this, you must make sure no one is snooping on you and your credit card information. Scan your PC and smartphone for viruses and malware. Hackers and scammers can access confidential information on your devices by planting a backdoor. At the same time, you should be careful while installing third-party software on your devices. Read : What Is Stockinvest? Is It Legit And Working In 2022? Use Stronger and More Secure Security Measures Not saving your login credentials and credit card information will go a long way in protecting you from fraud. However, you can still do more to protect yourself from credit card fraud. Using a secure password should be your priority. Use a mix of alphabets, symbols, and special characters to compose the password. Never use guessable passwords like your birthdate or pet name. Look into other ways of securing your devices. Biometric authentication is a highly efficient way of doing so. After all, it won’t be easy to replicate your eyes, face, or fingerprints. Don’t Use Your Credit Card On an Insecure Website Never purchase anything using your credit card on a website without an SSL certificate. The SSL certification verifies that the website encrypts sensitive information passed between the user and the server. No SSL certificate means that anyone can snoop on that information. When you wish to install an SSL certificate make sure it is from a reputed CA like RapidSSL, GlobalSign, DigiCert, etc. A few well-known certs are popular among developers including RapidSSL wildcard Certificate for subdomains, comodo multi domain SSL, and Thawte SSL for a single domain. A site owner can choose as per the site's requirements. When using your credit card online, you send your card number and security pin to the receiver’s server. Anyone with the right tools and brains can snoop on these exchanges and steal your credit card information. 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