Business and finance fundamentals

The objectives of the firm: delivering value to shareholders and key stakeholders
Understanding the drivers of shareholder return
Who uses financial statements and why

Basic principles

Understanding business funds flow
Understanding and using the balance sheet
Understanding and using the profit statement
Recognising the vital difference between profit and cashflow
Understanding and using the cashflow statement
What financial statements can and cannot tell us

Managing and improving cashflow

What is working capital and why is it so important?
Understanding how working capital drives business growth
Understanding and avoiding the over-trading trap
Managing and improving business cashflow

Managing and improving profit

Understanding how profits generate cashflow
The fundamental nature of costs: fixed and variable business costs
Understanding gross margin and break-even
How common pricing methods affect gross margin and profit
Improving profit – effective and defective strategies

Managing business performance

The business planning cycle
Using budgets to support business strategy
Monitoring and managing financial performance
Using a ‘Pyramid of Ratios’ to manage business performance
Understanding and using key performance indicators

Measuring and managing business performance

Measures of financial performance and strength
Investor behaviour: the risk and reward relationship
Return on investment (ROI): the ultimate measure of business performance
How profit margin and net asset turnover drive return on net assets
Why some companies are more profitable that others
Why great companies fail – what happened to Kodak?

Training is held in our modern, comfortable, air-conditioned suites

Modern-spec IT, fully networked with internet access

"What do I get on the day?"

Learning tools

Breaks and timing

Courses start at 9:30am.
Please aim to be with us for 9:15am.
Joining information (how to get to our venues)

In-course handbook

Contains unit objectives, exercises and space to write notes

Refreshments

Available throughout the day:

• Hot beverages
• Clean, filtered water
• Biscuits

24 months access to trainers

Your questions answered by qualified trainers online.

Lunch

Lunch is provided at a local restaurant or pub. Browse the sample menus:

• Bloomsbury
• Limehouse
• Southwark

• On a public schedule at one of our
  London training venues.
• On-site at your company office UK wide
• Near-site, at a location close to you
• Tailored courses to your requirements
• Consultancy