The Most Important Assets are not on the Balance Sheet

In the context of accounting, an asset is defined as any item of economic value that a corporation owns, especially those that can be converted to cash. Examples include land, equipment, inventory and the like. Intangibles, such as patents, trademarks and goodwill (only recorded during times of acquisition) can also be quantified for the balance [...]

Source: http://www.TriplePundit.com: The Most Important Assets are not on the Balance Sheet