Numerical factor that makes a little company business-like (11)
I believe the answer is:
coefficient
'numerical factor' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both quantities as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'a little company business-like' is the wordplay.
'a little company' becomes 'co'.
'business-like' becomes 'efficient' (I've seen this in another clue).
'co'+'efficient'='COEFFICIENT'
'that makes' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for coefficient that I've seen before include "Factor that measures some property (physics)" , "constant quantity" , "factor in expansion?" , "Mathematical multiplier (in an equation)" , "Numerical multiplier of an algebraic variable" .)