1.1 Your Role in Financial Decision Making

    Who is responsible for the financial decisions in your company?

    The Goal of Business

1.2 Understand the Language of Finance

    Accounting as a Language

    Learn the Language 

    Visual Activity – Accounting Process

    Accounting and Recordkeeping Systems

    Self Check – Account Categories

1.3 Read the Story

    A Word about Financial Concepts

        ***Financial Concept: The Accounting Equation***

        ***Financial Concept: The Matching Principle***

    The Common Financial Statements

    Income Statement

    The Balance Sheet

    Statement of Cash Flows

1.4 The Purpose of Financial Statements

Unit 2 Financial Dashboard – Introduction to Financial Gauges 

2.1 Understand Basic Financial Concepts

    Introduction

    The Story Statements Tell 

        ***Financial Concept: The Accounting Equation***

        ***Financial Concept: The Profit Matching Principle***

        ***Financial Concept: The Fund Matching Principle***

        ***Financial Concept: Cash Basis vs. Accrual Basis Accounting Methods***

        ***Financial Concept: Cash vs. Profits***

        ***Financial Concept: Debt vs. Equity (Optimum Capital Structure)***

2.2 Financial Strategies

    Financial strategies stem from business goals

    Take a Look: Example Financial Strategies

2.3 Financial Gauges

    Introduction to Financial Gauges

    Your Financial Gauges

    Profitability-based gauges

    Performance-based gauges

2.4 Reading Your Financial Gauges

    The Story Financial Gauges Tell

    Research and Analysis

Unit 3 Financial Gauges - Profitability

3.1 Profitability Gauges

    Ratio Analysis

    Financial Gauge: Net Profit Margin (or) The Bottom Line

    Financial Gauge: Gross Profit Margin

    Financial Gauge: Operating Margin

    Using Profitability Ratios

3.2 The Components of Profitability

    The Origin of Profits

    Sales and Expenses

3.3 Sales

    Sales Strategies

    Pricing Strategies

3.4 Cost of Goods Sold and Cost of Sales

    Cost of Goods Sold

    Gross Profit Margin

    Gross Profit Analysis and Planning

    Evaluate Profitability of Product or Service Lines

3.5 Expenses

    Budget vs. Actual Analysis

    Cost Management and Efficiency

Unit 4 Financial Gauges - Performance

4.1 Making Money

    The Goal of Business

    Value Growth

    Company Resources

4.2 Taking Advantage of Assets

    Tangible vs. Intangible Assets

    Cash

4.3 Making the Most of Liabilities and Equity

    Liabilities

    Equity

4.4 Performance Financial Gauges

    Financial Gauge: Current and Quick Ratio (Liquidity) 

    Financial Gauge: Return on Assets

    Financial Gauge: Return on Equity

    Financial Gauge: Debt to Equity Ratio

4.5 Financial Analysis and Planning Summary

    Downtown Publishing Financial Performance Analysis

    Summary

·  To tie together the financial side with the operational side of your area of influence

·  To better understand the purpose and operations of the organization

·  To gain a use of financial reports to plan and make decisions

·  To enhance your support of the financial strategies of the organization

Course Outcomes

At the end of this course, you will:

· Know the financial implications of your daily business decisions

· Interpret and respond effectively to the organization’s financial information

· Contribute towards the organization’s profitability goals

· Make decisions that better support the financial performance of the organization

· Communicate business operations in financial terms

· Think in financial terms to better communicate with those in and outside the organization

 

About online learning

Online learning is a fun, enjoyable and very productive way to learn. Millions of people are learning online each year. You will engage with the instructor and other participants. You will get to know your instructor and other participants. You may make friends.  It’s easy. It’s fun. 

How the Course Works

It is easy to participate in your online course. After you register, you will be given a web address to go to get into your online classroom.  You will have a password and use your email address and password to gain access.

Once inside the online classroom, here’s what you can expect.

Participate when you want

You can participate any time of day or evening. The online classroom is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are no live real-time requirements or meetings. You decide when you participate.
For the best learning, participants should log into the course on 2-3 different days of the week.

What you will do

For each Unit, you will:

• Read the print readings (about 20 pages a week)
• Have the option of accessing the online readings
• Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides
• Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned
• Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants

For best learning, you should make one or more comments at 2-3 different times each week.
The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience.

Discussion

The Discussion for each Unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night.

Your instructor will log into the Discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants.

We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each week to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

It’s easy. It’s fun.