Overview
This practical, straightforward course demystifies business finance for non-finance managers, enabling you to make financial decisions with confidence and understand the world of management and financial accounting with greater clarity.
As a result of this course, you’ll feel equipped to be more financially proactive in your current role, and able to help maximize your organisation’s resources efficiently and effectively.
What you''ll learn
DAY ONE: ESSENTIAL FINANCE
This day focuses on the ‘bigger picture’ of financial management: looking at how the annual statements are put together and how they are linked. It also has a practical focus: from looking at the importance of maximising working capital and increasing your organisation’s efficiency, to understanding the profit drivers of your particular business.
We will also examine key financial metrics and see how they can help in monitoring your organisation’s performance.
What you’ll learn:
- The layout and terminology of the three main financial statements: the balance sheet, the profit and loss account and the cash flow statement
- How the three statements link together
- How to increase your organisation’s bottom line by understanding profit drivers, both financial and non-financial
- How to manage working capital as effectively as possible, making cash work as well for the business as It can
- How to use KPIs to assess your organisation’s financial performance
DAY TWO: ESSENTIAL COSTS AND BUDGETING
This day focuses on internal financial management – the nuts and bolts of any business. We’ll cover costs, break-even analysis and investment appraisal so that by the end of the day, you’ll understand how to ensure your actions and decisions have a positive financial impact.
What you’ll learn:
- How different costs behave and the impact of this on profitability
- How to calculate break even point, and how to use CVP (Cost Volume Profit) analysis to work out optimum sales levels
- Which costs are relevant for decision making purposes, and which should be ignored
- How to appraise different investment projects – from payback period to discounted cash flows
- How to carry out a qualitative cost/benefit analysis as well as a quantitative one – e.g. when customer service or staff morale is the main objective
- The way budgets are constructed and interpreting variances
Who is it for?
This finance and accounting course is for you if:
- You are involved in or have some budget responsibility
- You want to understand how to maximise profit in your unit/department/organisation
- You are expected to work with accounting reports as part of your everyday role
- You are aware that you need to know more about the financial impact on your organisation of the decisions you take
Your trainer
Sarah is the co-founder of Vondel Professional Development, and is an engaging and highly qualified business and training consultant who specialises in making finance easily comprehensible for non-financial professionals.
