Finance for the Non-Financial Manager

Course overview

Finance and accountancy is called ‘the language of business’. This is because the measures of success and failure in business are expressed in financial terms. As a result, people who have a working knowledge of this language are far better placed to take an active role in key business decisions. For those without a background in finance this information can prove difficult to acquire.

The Finance for Non-Financials distance learning 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 and give you greater confidence when talking with your financial colleagues.

This 8 module course will improve your understanding of the way in which the financial dimensions of your business can directly affect the overall commercial operation and financial results of your company. Anyone who deals with financial information on a daily basis but does not have a financial background will benefit.

This distance learning course will:

• ENHANCE your understanding of the financial dimensions of your business
• BREAK THROUGH the financial jargon to enable you to speak confidently with your financial colleagues
• INCREASE your confidence when making key decisions based on financial information
• IMPROVE your budgetary control to increase the financial efficiency of your business
• DETAIL key cost accounting techniques to improve your financial control
• IDENTIFY the key financial indicators and practically illustrate how to apply them effectively
• REDUCE the impact that poor cash flow management can have on profitability
• EXPLAIN the key policies, standards and financial concepts and how they operate in practice
• DEMYSTIFY how to cope with overheads and activity-based costing

Is this course for you?

With expert guidance, develop all the necessary skills you need to master the budgets and achieve managerial success – all without leaving the office! This comprehensive course is ideal for executives and managers in any sector, who want to broaden their ability to plan, evaluate and control budgets. It will especially benefit any manager who works in a critical role and can’t afford to take lengthy periods away to study – unlike most courses; you don’t have to take time out of the office to take part. Managers and executives at all levels will find this course sharpens their financial appreciation and will improve their decision-making as a result, this includes:

• Managers
• Team leaders
• Technical specialists
• Office managers
• Department heads

Maximise your effectiveness in 8 modules over 8 weeks…

Packed with practical advice, this course will bring you rapidly up-to-speed with the key areas required in order to develop a greater understanding of the language, terminology, structure and use of financial accounting. You will learn how to manage and measure your cash flow, helping you to measure your financial performance. It will enable you to deal with financial matters with greater confidence and control through a fundamental appreciation of the financial principles in practice. Finance is made accessible at both an operational and strategic level. Through the course you will gain insight to the key issues as:

• Demystifying finance
• The profit & loss account
• Cash flow
• The balance sheet
• Working capital
• Break-even analysis
• Interpreting the accounts
• Cash budgeting
• Understanding the financial press
• Costing and overheads
• Budgeting
• Cash management
• Profit management
• Making a quantum profits leap

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
• Bench marking

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]

Academy of Distance Learning in Business

ADLiB

The Academy for Distance Learning in Business (ADLiB1) has developed out of Falconbury’s pioneering work on short-course management and professional development.

As with the face-to-face training we do in our public and in-house programmes, our focus is on the practical and application-rich skills and techniques, which will enable individuals to develop their full potential as managers and professionals.

Our approach to distance learning is to use the self-study method at its best to make sure that you can flexibly acquire the knowledge and understanding of each chosen area in a way that suits you and your current work commitments.

ADLiB was set up to give a consistent approach across different subject areas, so that its users would know that our rigorous standards of excellence would be met in each course.

Every programme and each of the component modules is a combination of the training and learning expertise of Falconbury and input from its wide range of practically skilled writers and trainers. Where a course bears the ADLiB logo, you can be sure that our (and your) exacting standards will be met.

To learn more about how ADLiB and the courses can help you and/or your business call +44 (0)20 7729 6677

¹ ADLiB is the Academy for Distance Learning in Business and offers ‘best in class’, flexible self-study in key business, management and leadership via distance learning modules delivered directly to you, to work through at your convenience.

Ad lib is from the Latin ad libitum meaning ‘at one’s pleasure’ – we aim to make management and professional development enjoyable as well as worthwhile.

Ad lib could also be a loose latin short-form of ‘to the library’ – but in our case, we save you that trouble by using the best material available to us on each topic and assembled to give you maximum benefit.