Finance Foundations Program

The Finance Foundations Program is a comprehensive program tailored for supervisors and managers who are responsible for overseeing financial outcomes. Designed to be clear and accessible, this program is ideal for those seeking to build foundational financial knowledge and apply it confidently in their day-to-day roles. With a strong focus on real-world application, Finance Foundations supports the goals of professionals looking to improve their financial literacy, enhance cross-functional collaboration, and drive business outcomes – all within a time-efficient format that accommodates the demands of a busy role.

Program inclusions

Duration

The Finance Foundations Program is delivered over a 2-month period, allowing participants to apply their learning in real work environments, maximising learning outcomes and impact.

Topics covered

Days 1-4: Mastering Your Business Finance

Workshop 1

• Understand why financial literacy is crucial for business success
• Identify common financial challenges faced by businesses
• Understand key financial terminology and jargon by defining essential terms found in financial statements
• Understand legislative and compliance requirements for small businesses
• Learn the basics of the three main financial statements and how they interrelate

Workshop 2

• Understand how revenue and expenses are recorded
• Differentiate between cost of goods sold (COGS) and operating expenses
• Calculate gross profit, operating profit, and net profit
• Learn about different profitability metrics
• Understand the concept of accrual accounting vs. cash accounting

Workshop 3

• Understand the key components of a balance sheet
• Learn how to interpret a basic balance sheet
• Understand why cash flow is different from profit
• Understand the limitations of profitability
• Recognise the importance of managing cash flow for business survival

Workshop 4

• Learn how to identify the key contributors of revenue and the factors that impact revenue
• Learn about the importance of customer acquisition and retention
• Learn how to understand and manage costs including how to calculate the breakeven point and using other financial evaluation techniques
• Learn how to assess the impact of changes in sales volume, price, or cost on profitability
• Learn about the importance of profit margins

Day 5: Effective Workplace Communication

• Recognise how your mood affects your communication style and interactions and learn effective techniques to maintain positive and productive exchanges.
• Develop the ability to reflect on your own behaviours and communication patterns to improve personal effectiveness.
• Learn how clear and effective communication can enhance productivity, engagement, and overall workplace harmony.
• Understand the importance of psychological safety and how to foster an environment where open and honest communication thrives.
• Enhance your ability to listen actively and ask insightful questions to facilitate better understanding and collaboration.
• Learn strategies for crafting clear, concise, and impactful written communications.
• Gain insights into different behavioural styles and how to adapt your communication to connect more effectively with others.
• Learn to express your thoughts and needs confidently and respectfully.
• Discover techniques for building trust and rapport with colleagues and team members.
• Master the art of giving constructive feedback that promotes growth and improvement.
• Gain strategies for navigating challenging conversations with confidence and effectiveness.

Day 6 & 7: Microsoft Excel - Formulas and Functions

• Use logical functions and lookup functions
• Work with mathematical functions
• Build complex formulas that will incorporate statistical and other functions
• Manipulate and clean data with string functions
• Perform calculations with date and time functions
• Retrieve data on content with information functions
• Perform calculations on loans and investments using financial functions

Learning outcomes

• Gain essential skills to interpret financial data and use insights for smarter decision-making.
• Confidently manage budgets and drive operational success within your team.
• Develop clear, effective communication strategies to explain financial concepts to non-financial staff.
• Bridge the gap between financial knowledge and team understanding for improved collaboration and outcomes.
• Build proficiency in Microsoft Excel (formulas and functions) to efficiently analyse and manage financial data.

Who is this suitable for?

The Finance Foundations Program is designed for:

• Supervisors or managers responsible for overseeing financial outcomes
• Those who need to interpret financial data and communicate effectively within teams
• Professionals looking to enhance business performance through both financial literacy and interpersonal skills

How to enrol?

Register online or complete the enquiry form below, and our training course experts will get in touch to discuss options that suit your needs. For more information, call the Victorian Chamber on (03) 8662 5196.

You will earn a Victorian Chamber Digital Credential on completion of the program. 

* Savings based on Member Price: $2,100 (valued at $2,440) = $340 saving, Non-Member Price: $2,700 (valued at $3,100) = $400 saving.