Finance for the Non-Financial Manager

Course overview

Sharpen your financial skills and commercial awareness with this 8 module, self-managed and flexible distance learning course

Why choose the Finance for Non-financial Manager distance learning course?

The ‘Finance for Non-financial Manager’ distance learning written course is specifically designed to provide the skills you need to increase your financial awareness. It will improve your understanding of the language of finance, give you greater confidence when talking with your financial colleagues and show how your business can directly affect the overall commercial operation and financial results of the company.

How does this distance learning programme work and what do you get?

• Eight modules, each requiring between 3 to 4 hours study to be completed as you choose
• The course and its modules start at any time to suit you
• Modules may be downloaded to study on your PC or to print hard copies. (You may also opt to receive them printed-and-bound from us.)
• Each module has self-assessment progress questions and model answers
• The course has an optional on-line multiple choice assessment at the end, with a certificate of completion being awarded

Designed for:

• Managers
• Team leaders
• CEOs of SMEs
• Office managers
• Department heads
• Commercial managers

Structured to fit into your working day

The course is designed to fit around your current commitments with each module requiring an average study time of 3-4 hours. Course content can be studied on-line via our unique Learning Management System or sent to you in hard copy format anywhere in the world. This offers the flexibility of studying at work, at home or on the move, while having access to confidential help and support from our experts.

On-line final assessment

The course has an optional on-line multiple choice assessment at the end, with a certificate on successful completion.

Course modules

Module 1: Demystifying finance

• Introduction
• Interpreting the balance sheet
• The UK and US balance sheet

Module 2: How healthy are we?

• The two key indicators
• Are we in profit? The P&L statement
• What does the P&L reveal about the business?
• US income statement
• A paper profit – but are we solvent? – The cash flow statement
• What can the cash flow statement tell us?

Module 3: The importance of records and systems

• The difference between accounting records and accounting systems
• Systems and procedures
• Classic ledger structure
• Sales system and purchase system
• Wages system
• Audit function

Module 4: Concepts, policies and standards

• Why do we need concepts and rules?
• Fundamental concepts in operation
• Accounting policies and standards
• ‘Creative accounting’
• Managing your working capital
• Conducting break-even analysis

Module 5: Interpreting the accounts

• Ratio analysis
• Profitability ratios
• Asset turnover analysis
• PE’s, Footsie, yields and gilts: understanding the financial press
• Benchmarking

Module 6: Cash budgeting

• Cash flow forecasts
• What is capital expenditure?
• Discounted cash flow techniques and measures
• Sensitivity analysis
• Costing for planning
• Planning and break-even analysis

Module 7: Controlling those costs

• Full costing – coping with overheads
• Tackling the problems of overhead allocation
• Activity-based costing
• The volume-cost-profit relationship

Module 8: Figures we can believe in?

• The budget
• The operating budget
• Why budget?
• Budget stages explained
• How to budget
• Budget objectives and company culture
• Budget systems and techniques
• Secrets of cash management
• Techniques for effective profit management
• Making a quantum leap: achieving dramatic growth
• Glossary of helpful terms

Course contributors

Stephen Brookson is an independent consultant, and specialises in the provision of practical business development consultancy and training programmes. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1980 with Peat Marwick and, after a period at Grandmet plc, joined a leading organisation in the provision of training for chartered accountants in practice. During this time he gained extensive experience of writing, developing and presenting programmes on accountancy and taxation. He then joined Ernst & Young for a number of years as a consultant, leaving them to set up his own management and training consultancy business.

Paul Elkin is Managing Director of TMMi group, which provides consultancy services with a particular focus on business strategic development, performance management and corporate image. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and an experienced management consultant. Paul is the author of a series of practical ‘reference guides’ covering finance, strategy and business awareness and supports the delivery of MBA programmes in the areas of strategy and finance. He has also been involved in a range of initiatives in Europe for major corporates including ABB, Philips, International Paper and General Motors.

Sultan Kermally holds degrees in economics, sociology and law and diplomas in finance and accounting, marketing and education. He is a learning facilitator and management writer. He designs and delivers training courses in business strategy, managing people, managing performance, managing knowledge and personal development. He has conducted training all over the world. He has been involved in management education and development for a number of years including distance learning management education courses. He is tutoring MBA modules for the Open University Business School and Durham University Business School.

Barrie Pearson is Chief Executive of Realization. The company provides world class coaching and mentoring to entrepreneurs and chief executives in the two or three years before their exit, to help them groom their business to realise maximum value. He is the author of twelve books. He has presented seminars on corporate finance in the UK, Europe, New Zealand and the Far East.

Ralph Tiffin is managing partner of a successful accountancy and consultancy practice. He has a wealth of experience of organisations throughout the world.

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Client portfolio

Our client portfolio for this course includes the following companies:

More information

The following documents are available for this course:

• Sample module [134kb]

Falconbury’s distance learning programmes have been certified by the Academy of Distance Learning (ADLiB).. ADLiB supplies an unbiased authentication of, and quality assurance for, distance learning programme providers.

Upon course completion, distance learning participants are invited to undertake a final external assessment in the form of an online multiple-choice paper.

Participants are required to achieve a pass rate of 80% and above to ensure that a high level of competence has been achieved within the subject area and to receive the advanced ‘Certificate of Excellence’. The final external assessment can be taken up to three times, thereafter the ‘General Certificate of Course Completion’ will be issued.

NB: The final external assessment is an optional appraisal and those participants not wishing to undertake it will automatically receive the ‘General Certificate of Completion’ for their personal development/training profile.

Find out more about ADLIB here.

International Association of Distance Learning

The International Association for Distance Learning (IADL) promotes excellence in open, distance, and online learning worldwide, and provides a benchmark through which global consumers can gauge the quality of courses offered by their members.

The IADL is an independent, non-profit organisation with its principal administrative offices in London in the United Kingdom. Find out more.

Falconbury are an Approved Member of the International Association for Distance Learning. Please see our IADL membership certificate