COURSE OUTLINE
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
Financial Acumen for Business Professionals
Duration: 2 days
Lesson 1: The Basics - Using
Personal Financial Statement
to Create Context
Lesson 5: Adjustments and
Asset Management
Overview:
Financial Acumen for Business
Professionals is an accelerated
learning experience that will help
non-financial employees
understand how financial data is
generated and reported, as well
as how it can be used for
improved decision making and
analysis. AME Learning’s patented
interactive tools and simulation
technology bring this commonly
intimidating subject to life,
resulting in improved
comprehension and financial
results.
Target Audience:
Since every employee, manager
or owner is a custodian of the
company’s profits and cash flow,
it is crucial for professionals at all
levels to understand the financial
implications of their actions to
improve profitability, liquidity and
sustainability of the business.
This course is ideal for any
individual who wishes to enhance
their business acumen and
elevate their comprehension of
how business activities can
impact the financial results of an
organisation.
 The role of the balance sheet and
income statement
 Accrual accounting: revenue and
expense recognition
 The impact to financial statements
when buying or selling assets
 The impact to financial statements
when borrowing or paying debt
 Cash flow versus net worth (later
linking to business equity)
Lesson 2: Linking Personal
Accounting to Business
Accounting
 Personal vs. Business Accounts
 Understand the corporate business
structure
 The importance of Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles (GAAP) and
International Financial Reporting
Standards (IFRS)
Lesson 3: Inventory and
Capital Assets
 Understand the financial implications
of purchasing or building long-term
assets
 Understand the financial implications
of building inventory
Key Participant Benefits:
 The course will create a strong
foundation of understanding of
financial statements and train
participants to understand key
value drivers and the story
behind the numbers
 Will teach participants to think
strategically through an
understanding of the financial
implications of their decisions
 Will help participants
communicate in financial terms
across various operating silos
and learn to ask the right
questions relating to their
financial decisions
 Will help participants align
their budgets and/or
responsibilities with corporate
objectives
Lesson 4: Revenue and
Expense Recognition
 Understand the impact of asset
adjustments on financial statements
and budgets
Lesson 6: Improve Cash Flow
Activities that improve cash flow through
an understanding of:
 The Cash Flow Statement
 Free Cash Flow
Lesson 7: Ratio analysis
Identify activities that will improve:
 Profitability ratios
 Liquidity ratios
 Activity ratios
Lesson 8: Cost Volume Profit
(CVP)
 Learn how to use CVP and evaluate
how profits are influenced by a
change in volume and costs
Lesson 9: Budgets
 Understand the purpose of creating
budgets
 Zero based and incremental
budgeting
 Standard costing
 Variances
 Identify the types of sales
transactions: cash, unearned revenue,
and accounts receivable and their
importance when managing sales
 Impact of discounts and product mix
on profitability
 Identify the types of expense
transactions: cash, accounts payable
and common business adjustments
and their importance when managing
expenses
Will help participants align their budgets and/or responsibilities with corporate objectives
Key Business Benefits:
 Improve profitability and
liquidity due to better asset
management and an
understanding of appropriate
actions needed to improve
ratios and other performance
metrics
 Reduce time spent on creating
and managing budgets
 1300 794 006
 info@nhaustralia.com.au
 www.nhaustralia.com.au
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE TO SAY
 Reduce budget variances
"The feedback and evaluations showed undoubtedly that the [AME] program was well
worth the investment. The program has significantly elevated [restaurant managers’]
awareness of the financial drivers which has now resulted in them focusing on crucial Key
Performance Indicators." – Linda Herron, Finance Manager, Burger King Restaurants
"Your information and methodology is fundamental to understanding the financial
impact of decisions made by management of small businesses, and every employee
should be required to take the program." – Peter Mann, Centre Manager, Royal Bank
of Canada
"The [AME program] has proved to be invaluable in that it brought to light for employees
the many financial issues that businesses deal with in simple, easy to understand language
and has helped employees understand the impact of their daily decisions on the financial
well-being of the company. The real testimonial has been the numerous suggestions and
procedural changes that have taken place as a result of the seminar to improve overall
profits for the company." – Janet Boychuk, Director of Sales Operations, Hallmark
"The [AME program] has been one of the most successful learning and development
offerings at Cadillac Fairview to date. Without exception, the participants felt that
the material will provide a great deal of value in their roles at Cadillac." – Judi
Creamer, Learning and Development Manager, The Cadillac Fairview Corporation
"AME was able to make what is often an intimidating and abstract subject intuitive and
engaging to associates regardless of their prior level of financial expertise.” – Amy Yustick,
Sr. Director, Financial Planning and Analysis
"AME Learning delivered a powerful solution that leveraged their interactive technology
and matched the learning outcomes to Dana’s core business drivers” – John Opron,
Learning & Development Manager.
"Consistent to the Toyota brand, we expect the highest quality of service from our
vendors and the AME program was no exception. We would recommend this
program to other organisations without hesitation." – Shaun Bull, Senior Learning
New Horizons Learning Centres, Australia
Consultant, Toyota University
 1300 794 006
 info@nhaustralia.com.au
 www.nhaustralia.com.au