Permanent Working Capital: What Is It & How To Measure It?

In any business, having sufficient working capital is crucial for its smooth operation. Permanent working capital is a type of working capital that is required to support a business's ongoing operations, such as paying for inventory, salaries, and other day-to-day expenses. Unlike temporary working capital, which fluctuates with business cycles, permanent working capital is a more stable and long-term investment. 

Key Points:

• Permanent working capital represents the amount of funding needed to meet all fixed short-term business obligations. 
• As your business grows and shifts, your permanent working capital needs can change over time. 
• Without a handle on your permanent working capital needs, managing business finances efficiently can be a challenge.  

What Is Permanent Working Capital?

Permanent working capital refers to the minimum level of current assets that a business requires to maintain its ongoing operations. These assets are not intended to be sold or converted into cash in the short term, but instead, they are necessary for a business to generate revenue and meet its day-to-day obligations.

Examples of permanent working capital include cash, inventory, and accounts receivable.

Unlike temporary working capital, which fluctuates with business cycles, permanent working capital is a more stable and long-term investment. It is an essential component of a business's overall working capital and plays a crucial role in ensuring its financial stability and sustainability.

Permanent Working Capital Definition

Permanent working capital, sometimes referred to as fixed working capital, represents the amount of working capital your business needs to meet its fixed obligations from year to year. But if your business expands, your permanent working capital requirements may grow with it.

Types Of Permanent Working Capital

Within permanent working capital, there are two sub-categories. Here’s a look at both:

Regular working capital: Regular working capital is the minimum level of working capital the business needs to function throughout the business cycle. Without access to this type of working capital, the business could not meet its day-to-day obligations.
Reserve working capital: Reserve working capital acts almost like an emergency fund for businesses. If unexpected expenses pop up, the business can dip into its reserve working capital funds.

How To Calculate Permanent Working Capital

Calculating permanent working capital involves determining the minimum level of current assets required to support a business's ongoing operations. Here are the steps to calculate permanent working capital:

Determine the minimum level of each current asset: To calculate permanent working capital, you need to identify the minimum level of each current asset required to support your business's ongoing operations. For example, you need to determine the minimum level of cash, inventory, and accounts receivable required.

Add up the minimum levels of all current assets: Once you have identified the minimum level of each current asset, add them up to determine the total amount of permanent working capital required.

Subtract the permanent current liabilities: Finally, subtract the permanent current liabilities from the total amount of permanent working capital required to determine the net permanent working capital.

Permanent current liabilities include long-term debt due within one year, deferred tax liabilities, and other long-term obligations that are due in the current period.

The formula for calculating permanent working capital can be expressed as follows:

Permanent Working Capital = Total Minimum Level of Current Assets - Permanent Current Liabilities

By calculating your business's permanent working capital, you can ensure that you have sufficient funds to support your ongoing operations and maintain your financial stability.

Why Is It Important To Classify Working Capital As Permanent?

Classifying working capital as permanent or temporary is essential because it helps a business to understand its ongoing financial needs and make informed decisions. Here are some reasons why it is important to classify working capital as permanent:

Financial stability: Permanent working capital is necessary to support a business's ongoing operations, including maintaining inventory, paying employees, and meeting other regular expenses. By understanding its permanent working capital needs, a business can ensure that it has sufficient funds to maintain its financial stability over the long term.

Capital expenditure planning: Permanent working capital is a long-term investment, and it is essential for businesses to plan their capital expenditures accordingly. By classifying its working capital as permanent, a business can ensure that it has sufficient funds to finance its long-term investments.

Debt management: Permanent working capital is an important consideration when managing debt. By understanding its permanent working capital needs, a business can ensure that it has sufficient funds to meet its debt obligations and avoid defaulting on loans.

Investment decisions: Understanding permanent working capital requirements is crucial when making investment decisions. By having a clear understanding of its permanent working capital needs, a business can make informed decisions about investments that are likely to generate long-term returns.

Classifying working capital as permanent is important for a business to understand its ongoing financial needs and make informed decisions about managing its finances, capital expenditures, debt, and investments.

What’s Considered A Good Amount Of Permanent Working Capital?

The amount of permanent working capital required by a business depends on various factors, such as the industry, size of the business, and the nature of its operations. However, a good amount of permanent working capital is generally considered to be at least 20% to 30% of a business's total current assets.

Having a sufficient amount of permanent working capital is crucial for a business to support its ongoing operations, maintain financial stability, and meet its day-to-day obligations. If a business has inadequate permanent working capital, it may face liquidity issues, be unable to pay its bills or fulfill orders, and damage its reputation.

On the other hand, having too much permanent working capital can be inefficient as it ties up valuable resources that could be used for other purposes, such as growth and expansion. Therefore, it is important to strike a balance between having sufficient permanent working capital and avoiding an excessive amount.

A good amount of permanent working capital is typically 20% to 30% of a business's total current assets, but the actual amount required depends on the specific needs and circumstances of the business.

Permanent Working Capital Vs Temporary Working Capital

Here is a table outlining the key differences between permanent working capital and temporary working capital:

While both permanent and temporary working capital are necessary for a business's financial health, they serve different purposes and are calculated differently. Permanent working capital is a more stable, long-term investment required for ongoing operations, while temporary working capital fluctuates with business cycles and is intended for sale or short-term financing.

Characteristics Of Permanent Working Capital

Permanent working capital measures the funds required to keep the doors open. Without this bare-bones amount of funding, the business cannot meet its basic expenses.

Basic operational costs: Permanent working capital requirements include expenses like rent, payroll, and utilities.

Fixed: Permanent working capital requirements often include fixed costs for the foreseeable future. But remember, permanent working capital requirements can vary as your business grows.

Characteristics Of Temporary Working Capital

Temporary working capital offers a little bit of cushion for a business. Instead of sticking to the minimum permanent working capital, temporary working capital exceeds that bare-bones amount.

Cushion: Typically, this type of working capital provides some breathing room for the business.

Not fixed: Temporary working capital is not tied directly to fixed expenses. Instead, it's an amount that can fluctuate from month to month.

What’s The Difference Between Permanent Working Capital And Temporary Working Capital?

Permanent working capital is the minimum amount that a business needs to meet its financial obligations. In contrast, temporary working capital is not tied to specific business expenses. Instead, temporary working capital is an amount that exceeds permanent working capital and provides some breathing room for the business.

How To Identify The Minimum Level Of Current Assets For Permanent Working Capital

Identifying the minimum level of current assets for permanent working capital is an important step in calculating the amount of permanent working capital a business needs. Here are the steps to identify the minimum level of current assets for permanent working capital:

Determine the operating cycle of the business: The operating cycle is the time it takes for a business to convert its inventory into cash. It typically includes three phases: purchase of inventory, production, and sale of goods. The operating cycle varies depending on the nature of the business and can be short or long.

Calculate the time required to convert current assets into cash: The time required to convert current assets into cash depends on the operating cycle of the business. For example, if the operating cycle is 60 days, then the time required to convert current assets into cash is 60 days.

Determine the total current liabilities of the business: Current liabilities are short-term obligations that a business owes to its creditors and suppliers. Examples include accounts payable, taxes payable, and short-term loans.

Calculate the minimum level of current assets: The minimum level of current assets required for permanent working capital is calculated as follows:
Minimum level of current assets = (time required to convert current assets into cash / 365) x total current liabilities

This formula assumes that a business needs to maintain a minimum level of current assets to pay its current liabilities while waiting for its assets to be converted into cash.

For example, if a business has an operating cycle of 60 days and total current liabilities of $100,000, the minimum level of current assets required for permanent working capital would be:

Minimum level of current assets = (60 / 365) x $100,000 = $16,438

Identifying the minimum level of current assets for permanent working capital involves calculating the time required to convert current assets into cash and using this information to determine the minimum level of current assets needed to pay current liabilities. This is an important step in calculating the amount of permanent working capital a business requires.

How To Optimize Permanent Working Capital For Efficient Operations

Optimizing permanent working capital is crucial for efficient operations and financial stability of a business. Here are some steps to optimize permanent working capital:

Improve inventory management: Inventory is one of the biggest components of permanent working capital. By optimizing inventory levels, a business can reduce the amount of capital tied up in inventory. This can be done by improving demand forecasting, reducing lead times, and implementing just-in-time (JIT) inventory management.

Streamline accounts receivable: Delayed payments from customers can impact a business's cash flow and tie up capital in accounts receivable. A business can optimize permanent working capital by implementing efficient billing and collection processes, offering early payment discounts, and using factoring or invoice discounting to improve cash flow.

Manage accounts payable effectively: Efficient management of accounts payable can help a business maintain a positive cash flow and optimize permanent working capital. This can be achieved by negotiating favorable payment terms with suppliers, taking advantage of early payment discounts, and using supply chain finance to extend payment terms.

Evaluate fixed assets: Fixed assets, such as machinery and equipment, can also tie up permanent working capital. By evaluating fixed assets regularly and disposing of any that are no longer needed, a business can free up capital and optimize permanent working capital.

Consider alternative financing options: Instead of relying solely on bank loans or equity financing, a business can consider alternative financing options such as asset-based lending, crowdfunding, or revenue-based financing. These options can help a business optimize permanent working capital while avoiding excessive debt.

Monitor and adjust permanent working capital regularly: Finally, it is important to monitor permanent working capital regularly and adjust it as needed to maintain optimal levels. This involves tracking the components of permanent working capital, such as inventory levels and accounts receivable, and making adjustments based on changes in demand, cash flow, and other factors.

By implementing these steps, a business can optimize its permanent working capital and improve its financial stability and efficiency of operations.

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Calculating Permanent Working Capital

Calculating permanent working capital is important for businesses to ensure they have enough funds to operate smoothly. However, there are some common mistakes that businesses make when calculating permanent working capital. Here are a few mistakes to avoid:

Confusing permanent working capital with temporary working capital: Permanent working capital represents the minimum amount of current assets required for a business to operate smoothly. Temporary working capital, on the other hand, represents the additional working capital required to meet short-term needs. It is important to differentiate between the two and calculate them separately.

Overestimating permanent current assets: Businesses may overestimate the amount of permanent current assets they need, resulting in excess capital being tied up in inventory or accounts receivable. This can impact cash flow and profitability. It is important to accurately forecast demand and adjust inventory levels and accounts receivable to maintain optimal levels.

Underestimating permanent current liabilities: Similarly, businesses may underestimate the amount of permanent current liabilities they have, resulting in insufficient working capital to pay off debts. It is important to accurately track and forecast current liabilities to ensure there is enough permanent working capital to meet these obligations.

Ignoring changes in the business environment: Business environments are constantly changing, and this can impact the amount of permanent working capital required.

For example, changes in interest rates, market demand, or supplier terms can impact the amount of permanent working capital required. It is important to regularly review and adjust permanent working capital calculations to reflect changes in the business environment.

Not involving key stakeholders in the process: Calculating permanent working capital is not a one-person job. It is important to involve key stakeholders, such as finance, operations, and procurement teams, in the process to ensure accurate forecasting and data inputs.

By avoiding these common mistakes, businesses can calculate permanent working capital accurately and effectively, ensuring they have enough working capital to operate smoothly and efficiently.

Final Words

In conclusion, permanent working capital is an essential component of a business's financial management. It represents the minimum amount of current assets required for a business to operate smoothly and sustainably. By accurately calculating and optimizing permanent working capital, businesses can improve their financial stability, cash flow, and profitability.

FAQs 

Here are three frequently asked questions about permanent working capital: