The highest amount a firm can charge for its products is most directly affected by:. a. expected retaliation from competitors.b. the cost of substitute products.c. variable costs of production.d. customers' high switching costs.

Option B, the cost of substitute products, is the right answer,

Explanation:

Option “B” is the correct answer because if the price of substitute goods is lower then the consumer will go for that commodity. While, if the prices of substitutes are higher then the consumer will not prefer the substitute goods. So the company or firm takes the price of substitutes into consideration before deciding the price of goods. If a firm charges the price that is costlier for the consumer and the consumer is able to find the lower price of substitute goods then the demand for the main commodity will fall and the demand for substitute will increase.

Explanation:

South Tel Communications is considering the purchase of a new software management system. The system is called B-image, and it is expected to drastically reduce the amount of time that company technicians spend installing new software. South Tel's technicians currently spend 6,000 hours per year on installation which cost South Tel $25 per hour. The owners of the B-image system claim that their software can reduce time on task by at least 25%. The system requires an initial investment of $55,000 and an additional investment of$10,000 for technician training on the new system. Annual upgrades will cost the firm $15,000 per year. Because the investment is comprised of software, it can be fully expensed in the year of the expenditure (no depreciation). South Tel faces a 30% tax rate and uses a 9% cost of capital to evaluate projects of this type.

A. Assuming that South Tel has sufficient taxable income from other projects so that it can immediately expense the cost of the software, what are the free cash flows for the project for years zero through five?

Total (65,000)

Cash flow year 1 - 5

Saving on installations per year 450,000

Less: Annual upgrades ( 15,000)

Total 435,000

Less: Tax (30%) (130,500);

Total project free cash flow 304,500.answer