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Outline the major stages of the merchandising business cycle and review inventory control and payment terms (i.e., just-in-time [JIT] inventory, cash, trade, quantity, seasonal discounts, etc.). While examining the financial records of a business, determine the cost of merchandise inventory and cost of merchandise sold for a given range of products in a specified time period, analyzing the impact on business profitability. For example, perform simple “what if” analysis to determine the range of profitability, based on changing variables of the cost of merchandise sold and merchandise inventory in relationship to operating costs, such as salaries, equipment, supplies, and overhead.