Accounting & Finance in 4 Weeks

The Complete Guide to Success: Teach Yourself

Roger Mason, Roger Mason Ltd

• Publisher: Teach Yourself
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781473605077
• eBook ISBN: 9781473605084
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Accounting
• Index: Business

Accounting And Finance In 4 Weeks is a comprehensive guide to understanding finance, giving you everything you need to know in one place. Made up of four bestselling books in one, this book delivers a complete course in the essentials. From balance sheets and profit statements to cashflow, budgets and forecasts you'll discover all the tools, techniques and strategies you need to get up to speed.This book introduces you to the main themes and ideas of finance and accounting, giving you a knowledge and understanding of the key concepts, together with practical and thought-provoking exercises. Whether you choose to work through it like a 4 week course or dip in and out, Accounting And Finance In 4 Weeks is your fastest route to success: Week 1: Finance For Non-Financial Managers In A Week
Week 2: Bookkeeping And Accounting In A Week
Week 3: Understanding And Interpreting Accounts In A Week
Week 4: Successful Budgeting And Forecasting In A Week ABOUT THE SERIES
In A Week books are for managers, leaders, and business executives who want to succeed at work. From negotiating and content marketing to finance and social media, the In A Week series covers the business topics that really matter and that will help you make a difference today. Written in straightforward English, each book is structured as a seven-day course so that with just a little work each day, you will quickly master the subject. In a fast-changing world, this series enables readers not just to get up to speed, but to get ahead.

WEEK 1

Finance for Non-Financial Managers In A Week

Introduction

Depending on how far you are willing to stretch the definition, there are well over a million non-financial managers in the UK, with considerably more in other countries. Many of them would like to know more about finance, and the knowledge would help them do their jobs and progress in their careers. There are, of course, a number of books for non-financial managers, but I firmly believe that Week 1 of this book has its place too. I give my own point of view in some areas and I hope that this will be useful and thought-provoking. I am an experienced manager, as well as a speaker and writer on the topics covered, and I hope that this is apparent.

I have a very practical reason for believing that there is a great interest in Week 1’s subject. Some years ago I wrote a book for non-financial managers and it was issued in a series with nine other titles on different subjects. I forecast to the publisher that my book would outsell the others. She thought not, but I was proved correct. This makes me sound arrogant but the reason was not the quality of my writing, although I was pleased with the book. Rather it was the demand for the book’s title.

A basic understanding of finance is very relevant to our personal lives. It is also important to virtually all managers and supervisors, both junior and senior. This has always been so and its significance has considerably increased in recent years.

Full budgeting by schools and the PFI initiative are examples of its increasing importance in the public sector, and in both public and private sectors it is necessary for managers to be familiar with financial terms. It is essential that managers understand the financial consequences of the decisions that they make. The present tough economic climate means that this has never been more important.

All levels of management are regularly confronted with such queries as:

• Is it in the budget?

• Do we have the resources?

• What is the return on investment?

• What do these figures really mean?

• What are the cash implications?

Some managers have been financially trained but many more wish to increase their level of understanding. Doing so will enable them to become more effective and improve their scope for development and promotion.

Week 1 is written for managers wishing to achieve this. By setting aside a little time each day for a week you should increase your understanding of the basics of finance.

Please note that your learning on Tuesday and Wednesday will be more effective if you have to hand a company’s annual report and accounts. It would be helpful if this could be obtained in advance.

Each Week contains 70 end-of-chapter multiple-choice ques...

Table of contents

• Cover 
• About the Author
• Title
• Contents 
• Week 1: Finance for Non-Financial Managers In A Week
• Week 2: Bookkeeping and Accounting In A Week
• Week 3: Understanding and Interpreting Accounts In A Week
• Week 4: Successful Budgeting and Forecasting In A Week
• Surviving in tough times
• Answers
• Glossary
• Copyright