1.) Pretty Lady Cosmetic Products has an average production process time of forty days. Finished goods are kept on hand for an average of fifteen days before they are sold. Accounts receivable are outstanding an average of thirty-five days, and the firm receives forty days of credit on its purchases from suppliers.

a. Estimate the average length of the firm’s short-term operating cycle. How often would the cycle turn over in a year?

b. Assume net sales of $1,200,000 and cost of goods sold of $900,000. Determine the average investment in accounts receivable, inventories, and accounts payable. What would be the net financing need considering only these three accounts?

2.) A supplier is offering your firm a cash discount of 2 percent if purchases are paid for within ten days; otherwise, the bill is due at the end of sixty days. Would you recommend borrowing from a bank at an 18 percent annual interest rate to take advantage of the cash discount offer? Explain your answer.