Finance for Non-Finance Managers
Understanding finance is crucial for making informed decisions, managing budgets effectively, and contributing to the overall strategic goals of an organisation. This engaging programme of eight half-day modules empowers non-accountants with the confidence to interpret financial information, participate in financial conversations, and influence business outcomes with greater impact.
100%
of industries are increasing AI usage
72%
of global IT leaders identify AI skills as their biggest capability gap
3x
higher growth in revenue per worker in industries more exposed to AI
Overview
- Price
- Face-to-Face from £738.00Online Live from £372.00
Choose your courses
Finance for Non-Finance Managers papers
Finance for Non-Finance Managers - Advanced
This course will look to cement the learning acquired in Finance for Non-Finance Managers - Essentials and build on that learning. Through the use of exercises you will better understand how accounts are produced, what some of the more technical terms might mean (Intangible Assets, Goodwill), why cash management is so fundamental to an organisation, what is included in an Annual Report and how to interpret a company through the use of ratio analysis. By the end of this course, you will be able to: - Explain the core accounting concepts, including the matching (accruals) principle, and why cash and profit often differ - Understand and calculate key financial ratios used by management and analysts to interpret accounts - Grasp the fundamentals of double-entry bookkeeping using debits and credits, with a focus on concepts and terminology (not technical proficiency) - Navigate and interpret key aspects of published accounts, using real-world examples as reference points - Recognise the judgements involved in preparing financial statements and understand financial risks such as profit manipulation and insolvency- No extra learning materials
- No extra learning materials
Finance for Non-Finance Managers - Essentials
In all businesses, finance matters. As a manager, or simply an employee, it is so helpful to understand why it matters and what are the financial implications of your actions. How are they reflected in the business’ accounts and why? This one-day course will give you an introduction to finance, in order to help you contribute to your business’ financial success. It provides an explanation of the language of finance, of the terms displayed in the financial statements, the processes that help populate the financial statements and why finance teams do what they do. Delegates may also benefit from attending Finance for Non-Finance Managers - Advanced. By the end of this course, you will be able to: Read and interpret the profit and loss account, balance sheet, and cashflow statement Apply key accounting principles such as accruals, capital expenditure, depreciation, amortisation, inventory, and bad debt provisions Explain how money flows through a business and how it is recorded in the accounts Understand the accounting rules and standards that underpin financial reporting Analyse real-life financial statements and identify the judgements and risks involved in preparing accounts- No extra learning materials
Module 1 - The Statements
This highly interactive, modular course will see delegates build their own business as a group and produce a rudimentary set of accounts for that business. In doing so delegates see how accounts are constructed and identify some of the basic accounting principles in action. Delegates will also start to understand why finance colleagues do what they do, why they ask for the information they ask for and what some of the financial jargon means! By the end of this course, you will be able to: Explain the purpose of the main financial statements and what each represents Identify and interpret the key elements within financial statements Analyse the various levels of profit in a profit and loss account and explain their significance Define the main terms used in a balance sheet and assess what it reveals about a business Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different financing methods Recognise the factors that influence a business’s chart of accounts structure and why “miscellaneous” categories should be avoided- No extra learning materials
Module 2 - The Principles
This highly interactive course will see delegates apply key financial principles to a business of their own choosing. Delegates will have a short review of the knowledge gained from Module 1 of the programme. The course then goes on to discuss and work through examples of what constitutes capex, what happens to non-current assets over time as well as rules around revaluation and disposal of assets. This course will also cover the impact of the accruals principle using worked examples for a range of transactions produced by its application. By the end of this course, you will be able to: Explain the financial rules and guidelines that govern the production of financial information Distinguish between capital expenditure and operating expenditure Describe how depreciation and amortisation are applied in different situations and assess their impact on the accounts Analyse the effects of accruals, prepayments, accrued income and deferred income on the financial statements Apply knowledge through case studies that illustrate real-world scenarios- No extra learning materials
Module 3 - Company Accounts and The Annual Report
This highly interactive course will see delegates get a deeper understanding of the elements within a set of financial statements. Module 3 covers such topics as provisions within accounts and the accounting for bad debt as well as looking at the importance of managing cashflow. You will understand how and why shares are issued and the role of shareholders and shares in the financial life of a company using a range of case studies. The course also considers ways in which accounts can be analysed using techniques such as ratio analysis while looking at the contents of a formal set of accounts. By the end of this course, you will be able to: Define the key terms involved in share issues and explain their financial implications Explain why cashflow is critical to organisational success Apply the rules underpinning the preparation of a set of accounts Identify and account for bad debts accurately Assess the impact of lease accounting on financial statements Account for provisions and contingent liabilities Use key ratios to analyse business performance Understand the structure and format of a company’s annual report- No extra learning materials
Module 4 - Introduction to Control and Audit
This course will give non-auditors an understanding of the role of the internal and external auditors, alongside how to work with auditors efficiently and use them to help achieve business objectives. By the end of this course, you will be able to: Explain the role and purpose of audit and distinguish between internal and external audit functions. Understand the principles of audit and assurance and how they support organisational governance and risk management. Identify key accounting and auditing standards and their relevance to compliance and reporting. Work effectively with audit teams by understanding processes, controls, and risk-focused approaches. Leverage audit insights to achieve business objectives, ensuring audits add value beyond compliance.- No extra learning materials
Module 5 - Introduction to Strategy and the Business Case
Management accounting is all about the future: planning, costing, budgeting, working out where an organisation wants to be and working out which path to take to get it there. This module provides delegates with a range of techniques to help them develop, evaluate and implement a company strategy. In doing so it looks at how to encourage innovative options for delivering strategic objectives and how these options can be evaluated through the production of quality business cases. By the end of this course, you will be able to: Apply a range of strategic tools (PESTLE, SWOT, Porter’s models, product mix) to evaluate business options Distinguish between Vision and Values and explain their financial implications Generate and assess options using practical decision-making techniques Apply basic risk analysis to evaluate chosen strategies Prepare a high-quality business case using the right structure and language to support senior management decision-making- No extra learning materials
Module 6 - Introduction to Investment Appraisal
In order to select the right projects, products and acquisitions a company needs to complete in order to achieve its strategic aims it needs to have a robust decision making process. This process needs to include a financial view of the costs and benefits of a chosen path to help a company make the right decision for its various stakeholders. This course covers a range of financial techniques to help in that evaluation, looks at the pros and cons of each and highlights a range of pitfalls when evaluating various investment options. By the end of this course, you will be able to: - Apply a range of financial evaluation tools to support organisational decision-making, including: Payback Period, Discounted Payback Period, Accounting Rate of Return, Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) - Explain the benefits and limitations of each approach - Identify and apply relevant costs when using financial evaluation methods - Carry out practical spreadsheet-based calculations - Recognise potential pitfalls of financial evaluation methods when applied in a broader business case context- No extra learning materials
Module 7 - Introduction to Budgeting
Budgeting is something that managers are often asked to do without any formal training on how this should be done. This course explains the structures that excellent businesses have in place to make their budgets robust. In doing so it challenges the business to only commit funds that will take the business where it wants to go. This course also covers tools and techniques to make sure the sales price for goods will lead to the required profit margins and discusses the reasons why budgeting often doesn’t “work”. By the end of this course, you will be able to: Explain the organisational structures required for robust budget creation Construct both accruals-based and cash budgets Differentiate between revenue budgets and capital budgets Explain and calculate budgeted costs for goods using absorption and marginal costing methods Calculate break-even sales volumes for goods Develop and profile a budget effectively Recognise the challenges and behavioural issues that can arise in budget construction- No extra learning materials
Module 8 - Introduction to Forecasting & Reporting
The monthly management reporting round can be seen as a trial by spreadsheet. Why have you overspent? Where did that forecast figure come from? Why are there so many negative variances? This course is designed to help managers understand reasons for variances and provide them with tools and techniques to deliver a more informed end of year forecast. It also discusses best practice in management reporting to make sure appropriate and informed management decisions are made. By the end of this course, you will be able to: - Analyse and explain the causes of financial variances with confidence - Forecast year-end figures more accurately using techniques such as seasonal variation and budget flexing - Create clear, insightful, and best-practice management reports - Apply balanced reporting frameworks, such as the Balanced Scorecard, to strengthen decision-making - Recognise and mitigate unintended management behaviours arising from poorly designed measures - Provide insights that positively influence organisational performance- No extra learning materials
Course structure
For anyone who wants to start to understand financial terms or processes or wishes to cement their existing knowledge.
What will you learn?
By the end of the course delegate will, with the aid of their notes, be able to explain:
what the main financial statements are and what they represent
the key elements of the different financial statements
the different levels of profit in a P&L and why they are important
the different terms within a balance sheet and what a balance sheet shows
the relative benefits and drawbacks of different methods of finance
what impacts the formation of the chart of accounts for a business…and why miscellaneous is never a good thing.
For anyone who wants to start to understand financial terms or processes or wishes to cement their existing knowledge.
What will you learn?
By the end of the course delegate will, with the aid of their notes, be able to explain:
what the financial rules and guidelines are when producing financial information
what constitutes Capital expenditure and Operating expenditure
how depreciation and amortisation work in a range of different situations and the impact on the accounts
the impact on the financial statements of an accrual, a prepayment, accrued income and deferred income
case studies to bring the theory to life
For anyone who wants to understand more about the contents of a set of accounts, the various principles that underpin their generation and the financial implications of shareholders and shares.
What will you learn?
By the end of the course delegate will, with the aid of their notes, be able to explain:
The various terms involved in share issue and the associated financial implications
Why cashflow is so important within an organisation
The rules underpinning the preparation of a set of accounts
The process for identifying and accounting for bad deb
The impact of lease accounting on the financial statements
The process for accounting for provisions and contingent liabilities
The key ratios used to analyse business performance
The format of a company’s annual report
The course is relevant to all employees who are required to work with internal and external auditors.
What will you learn?
We will focus on the following areas:
What is the role of the auditor?
Internal vs External Audit
What is Audit and Assurance?
What are accounting and auditing standards?
Focus on Risk: Processes and Controls
Working with audit teams efficiently
Getting the best from your auditors to meet business objectives
For anyone who needs to construct, evaluate or implement company strategy and/or produce quality business cases to help the delivery of that strategy.
What will you learn?
By the end of this course delegates will, with the aid of their notes, be able to:
Apply a range of strategic tools to ensure the company is selecting the best course of action such as:
PESTLE
SWOT
Porter’s work
Product mix
Understand the difference between Vision and Values and the financial impact of each
Use a range of option generation techniques
Apply basic risk analysis to a chosen course of action
Prepare a quality business case using appropriate structure and language to enable senior managers to select the right course for their organisation.
Understand the financial evaluation of options as part of a company’s decision making process.
What will you learn?
By the end of this course delegates will, with the aid of their notes, be able to:
Apply a range of financial evaluation tools intended to support the decision making process within an organisation specifically:
Payback period
Discounted payback period
Accounting Rate of Return
Net Present Value
Internal Rate of return
Understand the benefits and drawbacks of each approach
Explain what relevant costs are when using such methods
Carry out simple spreadsheet examples
Explain the potential pitfalls of such evaluation methods in the wider business case context
Learn how to construct a budget or need to understand more about the budgeting process.
What will you learn?
By the end of this course delegates will, with the aid of their notes, be able to:
Explain the organisational structures that lead to a robust budget creation
Construct a supported budget on an accruals basis
Construct a cash budget
Appreciate the difference between revenue budgets and capital budgets
Explain and calculate budgeted costs for goods using absorption or marginal costing
Calculate a break even sales volume for goods
Profile a budget
Appreciate the challenges and behavioural issues surrounding budget construction
For anyone who needs to monitor and explain budget variances or provide a more accurate forecast for their expected financial position at year end.
What will you learn?
By the end of this course delegates will, with the aid of their notes, be able to:
Explain the reasons for a range of financial variances that may occur within an organisation
Forecast end of year figures using seasonal variation and budget flexing
Design better management reports with reference to best practice
Avoid perverse management behaviour by looking at a balanced set of reporting criteria (Balanced Scorecard)
Why choose BPP for technical skills?
Ways to pay
Invoice your employer
Complete and return the booking form. We’ll contact your employer to arrange payment.Buy online
Choose a course from the above list and simply check out with your debit or credit cardBecome a BPP client
If you're an employer looking to upskill your staff get in touch about becoming a BPP client.FAQs
Most frequently asked questions.
If your employer is paying and wishes to be invoiced rather than pay online via credit card, you will need to complete this booking form and return it to us at service@bpp.com. If you are paying for yourself online or via the phone, you can request a copy of your settled invoice.