Financial Skills for Business Development

This course covers the essential skills needed for finance staff to excel in their companies. From macro level management and financial overview to personal organization and time management, various skills are put into practice to help participants become more successful in the workplace.

Content

Introduction

• Finance Induction
• Finance for Non-Financial Managers
• Fraud Awareness
• Introduction to Accounts Payable
• Payments to Individuals

The macro-finance picture

• Understanding the accounting cycle
• The income statement
• The balance sheet
• Changes in owners’ equity statements
• Cash flow statements
• The relationship of financial statements
• Functions of management
• Elements of a vision for finance and accounting department
• Effectiveness versus efficiency
• Supporting the operating departments
• Purpose of the finance and accounting function

Key Excel functions and tools to enhance efficiency

• Consolidating multiple sets of data
• Applying control at the data entry through data validation
• Reconciling accounts by using 'vlookup'

Organizing the finance function

• Teamwork skills in finance and accounting
• Assessing the need for team building program
• Finance as a project
• Organizing by function
• Organizing by purpose
• Staff duties and responsibilities
• The need for review and authorization procedures
• The authorization matrix and control of processes in organizations
• Cross training and backup strategies
• Scheduling the monthly accounting cycle

Budgeting

• Managing a Budget
• Managing a Budget (excluding Research Grants)
• Salary Forecasting                                                                     

Research Grants

• Forecasting Research Grants Overheads
• Managing a Research Grant

Finance Skills

• Presenting Financial Data in Reports, Charts and Tables
• Writing a Business Case
• Year-end procedures

Training Methodology

The training methodology combines lectures, discussions, group exercises and illustrations. Participants will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics. The emphasis is on the practical application of the topics and as a result participant will go back to the workplace with both the ability and the confidence to apply the techniques learned to their duties.