The money that a business spends in order to produce goods or services is its costs. Different business have different cost structures and define and calculate their costs in different way. One way of classifying the costs of business is to relate them to the output of the firm. 

Fixed costsare those which remain unchanged whatever the level of output, e.g. rent, interest charges, salaries, variable costs change directly with output of the business.

Direct costsare directly related to the things produced. In manufacturing for  example direct costs include raw materials and wages. 

Indirect costs may include things like social security charges on the top of the wages.   

Overhead costs or overheads are used to mean different things, but usually cover all the regular non-production costs  of running a business, such as salaries and telephone bills; they may  include the cost of marketing.

Costs are also referred to as expenses or expenditure.

Things of value owned  by a firm  are its assets. Fixed assets are long-term  assets which are for use in the business  and not re-sale (land, buildings, furniture, etc.).

Current assets  are used in the course of business. They include cash, receivables, bank  deposits and investments in other companies.     

The assets help generate the income of the company.

Liabilities  are what a business owes to those outside the business.

Liabilities are classified as either long-term liabilities  which are due for repayment after more than one year, or current liabilities which are short-term debts and debts to suppliers the company expects to pay within one year.

Exercise 1. Give the English for:

виробляти товари та послуги; витрати; структура витрат; підраховувати витрати; основні витрати; обсяг виробництва; заробітна платня; змінні витрати; прямі витрати;  сировина; непрямі витрати; накладні витрати;  активи та пасиви; неліквідні активи; перепродаж; поточні оборотні активи;