When faced with a choice between two options, calculate the potential returns of both options.  Since you can only choose one option, you forfeit the potential returns from the other option.  That loss is your opportunity cost.  For example, suppose your company has $100,000 in extra funds, and you have to decide between investing in securities or purchasing new capital equipment. If you decide to invest in the securities, you may see a return on that investment.  But, you forfeit any profit you might have earned from purchasing new equipment. On the other hand, if you decide to purchase new equipment, you may see a return on that investment in the form of increased sales.  But, you forfeit any profit you might have earned from investing in the securities. Research each option and estimate the financial return on each.  In the above example, suppose the expected return on the investment in the stock market is 12 percent.  Your potential return is $12,000.  The new equipment, on the other hand, might result in a 10 percent increase in your profit margin.  Your potential return for that investment would be $10,000. Sometimes the best option is not the most lucrative, especially in the short term.  Decide which option is best for you based on long term goals, not just on the potential return.  The company in the above example may choose to invest the funds in new equipment instead of the stock market.  Although the stock market investment has the higher potential return in the short term, the new equipment will allow them to increase efficiency and lower opportunity costs.  This will have a long term impact on their profit margin. The opportunity cost is the difference between the most lucrative option and the chosen option.  In the above example, the most lucrative option is investing in the securities, which has a potential return of $12,000.  The option the company chose, however, was to invest in new equipment, for a return of $10,000.  The opportunity cost = most lucrative option – chosen option. $12,000−$10,000=$2,000{\displaystyle \$12,000-\$10,000=\$2,000} The opportunity cost of choosing to purchase new equipment is $2,000.
حدد الخيارات المختلفة المتاحة لك. احسب المكاسب المحتملة من وراء كل خيار. احصل على أفضل خيار. احسب تكلفة الفرصة البديلة.