Understanding Accounts

According to a recent survey, 68% of managers have received no financial training and only 50% are confident that they are making the best financial decisions for their business.

Understanding Accounts will help non-financial managers read and analyse annual reports and accounts including balance sheets, profit and loss accounts and cash flow statements in order to make business or credit decision.

You'll learn how to identify trends in your company's financial performance and how to determine if the business is financially healthy.

It will also help anyone running a business, or looking to invest in a business, to identify how well that business is performing.


• You Gov/Intellexis survey of 650 UK managers, March 2006

You'll learn how to:

• Read a balance sheet is and understand what assets and liabilities are
• Understand why companies borrow and identify the benefits of using equity and borrowed funds
• Understand how companies and tax authorities treat the purchase of capital items
• Understand liquidity and the differences between cash and profit
• Measure the profitability of a business
• Understand depreciation
• Control cash and working capital
• Use simple ratios to measure performance

Course features:

You'll work through the course online, where you'll complete a series of exercises. All you need is access to the internet.

Based around two fictional businesses, a series of engaging video clips follow salesman Neil, who is in danger of losing a large contract because the customer has been turned down for credit.

Financial trainer Nick Rints and broadcaster Christina Barryk demystify the financial environment by using a computer animated model of water tanks, pipes, valves pumps and meters to explain in simple, jargon-free terms how a business uses money.

You'll learn how to make sense of Annual Reports and Accounts, how to identify trends in a company's financial performance and how to determine if a business is financially healthy.

A series of interactive exercises let you check what you've learned and allow you to build sets of accounts yourself, including the profit and loss account and the balance sheet.

You'll have access to this course for six months from the date or purchase - giving you plenty of time to finish your course.

How this course can help your business:

• Have more control over your business finances
• Make sound business decisions based on accurate financial information
• Improve efficiency through improved accounting
• Develop accounting methods that suit the needs of your business
• Protect your business by adhering to the legal requirements regarding financial management
  

Course Code: 104276BT001