Finance for Non-Finance Executives Course

In today’s fast-paced business environment, understanding financial principles is no longer a skill reserved solely for finance professionals. The Finance for Non-Finance Executives Course is designed to equip professionals from diverse backgrounds with the financial knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions. This course demystifies financial jargon, making complex financial concepts accessible and actionable. Whether you’re managing budgets, evaluating projects, or analyzing financial reports, this course empowers you to confidently contribute to your organization's financial success.

Financial literacy is a critical component of effective leadership and management. Through this course, participants will gain a solid foundation in key financial concepts, such as financial statements, cash flow management, and cost analysis. The program emphasizes practical application, enabling participants to interpret financial data, assess the financial health of their organizations, and make sound business decisions that align with organizational goals.

The course blends theoretical understanding with hands-on exercises, ensuring that participants not only learn but also apply what they’ve learned. With a focus on real-world scenarios, participants will engage in case studies covering various industries, enhancing their ability to tackle financial challenges specific to their roles. The interactive sessions are tailored to meet the needs of non-finance executives, ensuring a customized and impactful learning experience.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to navigate financial discussions with confidence, evaluate investment opportunities, and align financial decisions with strategic objectives. This course is an essential tool for managers, team leaders, and executives aiming to enhance their financial acumen and contribute to organizational growth.

Course Objectives

1. Understand the basic principles of finance and accounting.
2. Analyze and interpret financial statements, including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements.
3. Gain insights into budgeting and forecasting processes.
4. Develop skills to assess project profitability and feasibility.
5. Learn cost analysis and cost control techniques.
6. Understand the concept of working capital management.
7. Identify key financial performance indicators (KPIs).
8. Equip participants to evaluate investment opportunities using financial metrics.
9. Improve decision-making through financial analysis.
10. Build confidence in participating in financial discussions and meetings.

Organization Benefits

1. Empower managers with financial knowledge to enhance decision-making.
2. Foster cross-functional collaboration by bridging financial understanding gaps.
3. Improve resource allocation and budgetary control across departments.
4. Enhance project evaluations with a focus on financial feasibility.
5. Drive organizational efficiency through cost control and optimization.
6. Develop financially literate leaders capable of aligning decisions with strategic goals.
7. Improve stakeholder communication by presenting clear financial insights.
8. Increase overall organizational productivity by reducing financial errors.
9. Build a culture of accountability and informed decision-making.
10. Strengthen the financial health of the organization through informed leadership.

Target Participants

This course is ideal for managers, team leaders, supervisors, and professionals from non-financial backgrounds who are involved in decision-making or project management. It is also suitable for entrepreneurs, department heads, and functional leads who seek to enhance their financial literacy to contribute more effectively to their organization's success.

Course Outline

Module 1: Fundamentals of Finance

1. Introduction to financial concepts for non-finance professionals.
2. Understanding financial statements and their components.
3. Key accounting principles and terminology.
4. Difference between profit and cash flow.
5. The importance of financial literacy in business success.
6. Case Study: Analyzing a company’s financial health using financial statements.

Module 2: Budgeting and Forecasting

1. The role of budgets in financial planning.
2. Techniques for creating realistic budgets.
3. Understanding variance analysis and corrective actions.
4. Forecasting methods and their application.
5. Linking budgets to organizational objectives.
6. Case Study: Developing a departmental budget and analyzing its performance.

Module 3: Cost Analysis and Control

1. Types of costs: Fixed, variable, and semi-variable.
2. Techniques for cost allocation and tracking.
3. Break-even analysis and its importance in decision-making.
4. Cost-saving strategies for better resource utilization.
5. Evaluating cost-benefit scenarios for projects.
6. Case Study: Cost analysis for a product launch project.

Module 4: Financial Performance Analysis

1. Understanding key financial performance indicators (KPIs).
2. Ratio analysis for financial health evaluation.
3. Benchmarking performance against industry standards.
4. Using financial data to inform strategic decisions.
5. Identifying red flags in financial performance.
6. Case Study: Ratio analysis of a mid-sized enterprise.

Module 5: Investment and Project Evaluation

1. Introduction to capital investment and its importance.
2. Techniques for evaluating project feasibility (NPV, IRR, Payback Period).
3. Understanding risk and return in investment decisions.
4. Building business cases for investment approval.
5. Aligning investment decisions with organizational goals.
6. Case Study: Evaluating a capital investment opportunity.

Module 6: Communicating Financial Insights

1. Best practices for presenting financial data to non-financial stakeholders.
2. Data visualization techniques for impactful communication.
3. Building concise and actionable financial reports.
4. Techniques for facilitating financial discussions in teams.
5. Using financial insights to influence business strategies.
6. Case Study: Presenting a financial performance report to a management team.

General Information

1. Customized Training: All our courses can be tailored to meet the specific needs of participants.
2. Language Proficiency: Participants should have a good command of the English language.
3. Comprehensive Learning: Our training includes well-structured presentations, practical exercises, web-based tutorials, and collaborative group work. Our facilitators are seasoned experts with over a decade of experience.
4. Certification: Upon successful completion of training, participants will receive a certificate from Foscore Development Center (FDC-K).
5. Training Locations: Training sessions are conducted at Foscore Development Center (FDC-K) centers. We also offer options for in-house and online training, customized to the client's schedule.
6. Flexible Duration: Course durations are adaptable, and content can be adjusted to fit the required number of days.
7. Onsite Training Inclusions: The course fee for onsite training covers facilitation, training materials, two coffee breaks, a buffet lunch, and a Certificate of Successful Completion. Participants are responsible for their travel expenses, airport transfers, visa applications, dinners, health/accident insurance, and personal expenses.
8. Additional Services: Accommodation, pickup services, freight booking, and visa processing arrangements are available upon request at discounted rates.
9. Equipment: Tablets and laptops can be provided to participants at an additional cost.
10. Post-Training Support: We offer one year of free consultation and coaching after the course.
11. Group Discounts: Register as a group of more than two and enjoy a discount ranging from 10% to 50%.
12. Payment Terms: Payment should be made before the commencement of the training or as mutually agreed upon, to the Foscore Development Center account. This ensures better preparation for your training.
13. Contact Us: For any inquiries, please reach out to us at training@fdc-k.org or call us at +254712260031.
14. Website: Visit our website at www.fdc-k.org for more information.