Award in Business Finance

Course details

The aim of this qualification is to enable learners to have an understanding of the preparation of numerical, graphical and financial formats sufficient to provide useful information for management needs in monitoring, decision making and problem solving.

The qualification will:

Meet the needs of candidates who work or want to work in job roles such as:

• Accounts Assistant
• Accounting Technician
• Office Administrator
• Clerical Assistant
• Manager (non financial roles)
• Team Leader

Allow candidates to learn, develop and practise the skills required for employment and/or career progression in the business sector

The Goals

After attending the programme delegates will be able to:

• Know how to prepare business budgets
• Understand budget deviations and variances
• Know how a business may maintain liquidity
• Prepare costing information for business
• Record stock movements in a business
• Understand principles of credit control
• Understand how to use business performance indicators

The Process

Participants will learn by active participation throughout the programme through the use of the course material, case studies, simulation, and discussion of "real life" issues in their organizations, to ensure the development of skills as well as knowledge.

The Benefits

As a result of attending the employee will:

• Gain an internationally recognised qualification
• Develop essential skills to enhance their position within the workplace
• Be able to work more effectively with colleagues
• Develop and ability to prepare and manage budgets effectively
• Appreciate the need for liquidity and stick management

The Results

As a result sending a delegate on this seminar the organization will:

• Improve the knowledge and qualifications of their staff
• Improve the professional finance skills of staff
• See an improved performance within the workplace resulting in better cost control and increased profitability
• Allow knowledge and skills to be shared within the organsation
• Ensure staff and up-to-date with latest developments and events in the world of finance

The Core Competencies

• Budget Preparation
• Sales Budgets
• Production Budgets
• Cash Budgets
• Capital Budgets
• Budget Management including "What If, Sensitivity Analysis and Budget Control including Variance Analysis
• Liquidity Management and the assessment of risks
• Methods of Stock Control
• Performance Measueremnt to improve performance, liquidity and profitability

The Recognition

• AZTech Certificate of Attendance will be given to delegates who successfully attended the course.
• City & Guilds Certificate (Level 2) will be given to delegates who successfully passed the City & Guilds Assessment.

The Programme Summary

• This programme covers the essential skills necessary for the Preparation and Management of Budgets, Management of Liquidity and Working Capital (Stock and Credit Control) and the Measurement of Performance

The Programme Content

Day One

Preparing Business Budgets

• Calculate increases and decreases in quantities and money value of materials
• Calculate increases and decreases in hours, wage rates and labour costs
• Calculate increases and decreases in expenses
• Calculate increases and decreases in amounts and money value of income
• Make allowance for the timing of receipts and payments arising from credit transactions
• Prepare sales, production, materials, labour, expenses and cash budgets

Day Two

Managing Budgets - Budget Deviations/Variances and Costing

• Identify variances (deviation) between actual outcomes and budget information
• Calculate variances (deviation) between actual and budget data
• Identify fixed, variable, direct and indirect costs
• Extract data about income and expenditure from given information
• Prepare estimates and job costs
• Check estimates and job for accuracy

Day Three

Liquidity Management

• Identify how a business may maintain a level of liquidity in accordance with cash budgets and forecasts
• Invest surplus funds
• Investment risk
• Obtain loans and obtain overdrafts
• Interest rate risk
• Recent events in the banking and financial markets

Day Four

Stock & Credit Control

• Apply stock valuation methods to record the movement in stock using First In, First Out (FIFO), Last In, First Out (LIFO) and Weighted Average Cost (AVCO) perpetual method.
• Calculate cost information
• Explain the benefits and risks of providing credit
• Calculate credit prices and compare them with cash prices
• Use an age analysis of debtors to determine appropriate action in accordance with given policies and circumstances
• Calculate average periods of credit given and bad and doubtful debts

Day Five

Measuring Performance

• Key performance indicators
• Extract and organise information into appropriate form from data provided in tables or graphical format
• Calculate performance indicators measuring customer growth, satisfaction, quality of service, efficiency, effectiveness and productivity.
• Prepare information about financial and non-financial performance in graphical format - line graphs, bar charts and pie charts
• Compare performance indicators/trends over time and benchmark information against comparative organisation or collected industry relevant data
• Financial ratio analysis

Assessment leading to City & Guilds Award in Business Finance - Level 2:

• This unit will be assessed by a one hour thirty minute question paper, which will be externally marked The examination paper consists of a number of practical tasks, all of which should be completed by the candidate. Pro-formas will be provided for the completion of graphs, charts, tables and business documents testing application of understanding.