Financial Modelling and Forecasting

Description

The aim of this course is to provide delegates with the essential knowledge and skills to enable them to develop a robust financial model to fit with the aims of their business.

Anyone setting up a business must plan to both finance the startup and manage all revenue and expenditure on an ongoing basis.

In addition, a business must maintain satisfactory records of all financial transactions.

Cash flow is a central feature of this course.

The importance of cash flow is often underestimated, yet many businesses fail simply because of cash-flow problems.
This course covers the fundamental financial knowledge and skills which an entrepreneur needs before starting a business.

Firstly, delegates will learn essential financial terminology so that they can use business planning software and interpret the results. They will then go on to learn about different sources of finance and select the most appropriate for their business plan.

They will learn how changes to pricing, sales levels or costs impact upon the financial performance of a microbusiness.

Outcome of session

Outcomes will include:

• Be able to use terminology used for financial planning
• Profit calculations: gross profit, net profit; simple profit and loss statements
• Cash inflows: capital, sales, loans, timing of inflows
• Cash outflows: purchases, loan repayments, wages, rent, advertising, timing of outflows
• Projected cash flow
• Purpose of having projected cash flow
• Determine working capital requirements
• Make business decisions
• Use of projected cash-flow software; interpretation of results
• Know about sources of finance
• Be able to produce a robust financial model for a business
• Business planning software: use of appropriate spreadsheets and packages
• Inputting data: revenue, stocks, making estimates: sales, costs
• Financial implications: balance sheet; profit and loss accounts
• Projected cash flow; break-even charts; identifying favourable results; action to remedy unfavourable results
• Impact of pricing decisions, sales levels, costs etc on financial performance
• A completed Cash-flow forecast commonly used to raise funding, grants and government loans
• Forecast which you can use
• Gain a course completion certificate
• Count towards CPD