Accounting & Finance for Non-Finance Professionals Training Course

This course is designed to demystify accounting and finance for professionals without a financial background. It provides a practical understanding of key financial concepts, tools, and statements to enable participants to interpret financial data, support decision-making, and communicate effectively with finance teams. By focusing on real-world applications, the course bridges the gap between technical finance knowledge and practical business needs, empowering participants to make financially sound decisions in their roles.

Target Groups

• Managers and supervisors from non-financial departments (HR, marketing, operations, etc.).
• Entrepreneurs and business owners.
• Professionals in project management, supply chain, and administration.
• Technical experts (engineers, IT, healthcare, etc.) working with budgets and financial data.
• Anyone interested in improving financial literacy for business decision-making.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the basic principles of accounting and finance.
2. Read, interpret, and analyze financial statements.
3. Apply financial information in decision-making.
4. Understand budgeting and cost control fundamentals.
5. Recognize the impact of financial decisions on business performance.
6. Distinguish between profit, cash flow, and working capital.
7. Use financial ratios to assess organizational health.
8. Communicate more effectively with finance and accounting professionals.
9. Understand capital investment decisions and their financial implications.
10. Improve financial awareness for strategic and operational decisions.

Course Modules

Module 1: Introduction to Accounting & Finance

• Why non-finance professionals need financial knowledge.
• Key concepts: revenue, costs, profit, assets, liabilities, equity.
• Role of finance in organizational decision-making.

Module 2: Understanding Financial Statements

• Income Statement (Profit & Loss).
• Balance Sheet.
• Cash Flow Statement.
• How the statements link together.

Module 3: Profit vs. Cash Flow

• Differences between profitability and liquidity.
• Importance of cash flow in business survival.
• Working capital management basics.

Module 4: Budgeting & Cost Control

• Purpose and process of budgeting.
• Types of costs: fixed, variable, direct, indirect.
• Variance analysis and cost management techniques.

Module 5: Financial Ratios & Business Health

• Liquidity, profitability, and efficiency ratios.
• How to interpret financial performance indicators.
• Practical exercises using sample company data.

Module 6: Decision-Making Using Financial Information

• Break-even analysis.
• Contribution margin and cost-volume-profit analysis.
• Using financial data for pricing and investment decisions.

Module 7: Capital Investment & Project Appraisal

• Time value of money concepts.
• NPV, IRR, and Payback period.
• Real-world application in project evaluation.

Module 8: Communicating with Finance Teams

• Common financial terminology explained.
• Tips for effective cross-functional collaboration.
• How to ask the right questions in financial discussions.

Module 9: Financial Risk & Controls Overview

• Identifying basic financial risks in business.
• Internal controls and why they matter.
• Role of audit and compliance for non-finance professionals.

Module 10: Case Studies & Practical Exercises

• Analyzing real company financial statements.
• Group activity: building a departmental budget.
• Role-play: presenting a business case with financial justification.