Starting a Business 5: Managing Finances (FutureLearn)

Offered by University of Leeds,
Starting a Business 5: Managing Finances (FutureLearn)

Find out how forecasting and managing your finances can lead to a profitable and sustainable business. The management of finances is crucial to a successful business; financial information provides the evidence to support your decisions about a business and helps to justify those decisions when you present them to other people.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Whether you have an idea for a future venture or you already have a side-line business whilst studying, this course will introduce you to key financial information and gives you a chance to discuss your ideas with others.
This course is the fifth in a series of six about ‘starting a business’.

What topics will you cover?

  • The importance of financial information
  • An introduction to key financial information: sales revenue forecast; profit and loss forecast; and cash flow forecast
  • Analysing and interpreting financial performance
  • How to increase profitability
  • Marketing a product in terms of price and number of sales
  • Key financial forecasts: determining the viability of a business opportunity
  • The business plan: business finances

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Discuss why forecasting and planning are key skills within any successful business.
  • Discuss sales revenue forecast, net profit and the purpose of a cash flow forecast.
  • Evaluate the entrepreneur’s business challenge: How can Hannah make her business more profitable?
  • Identify business finances in a business plan.
  • Assess costs, prices, gross profit and cash flow forecasts.

Who is the course for?
This course is part of the Going to University collection which has been specifically designed for students at schools and colleges. They provide a taster of undergraduate study at the University of Leeds and help students to decide which subject to study at university.
Completion of the courses will also enhance students’ university applications.
The courses can also be used as a teachers’ classroom enrichment resource.
Courses in this collection are also great for people that want an introduction in the specific subjects discussed in each course.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Understanding Fashion: From Business to Culture (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Institut Français de la mode - IFM

Understanding Fashion: From Business to Culture (FutureLearn)

From its impact on culture and society to consumer behaviour, discover the business of fashion with Institut Francais de la Mode. Study fashion and culture with fashion industry experts from Chanel and YSL. Over almost 150 years, the fashion industry has transformed many aspects of Western culture. On this course, you’ll explore the interaction of fashion, society and business with IFM professor, Benjamin Simmenauer.

May 16th 2022
4 Weeks
Business Futures: Understanding Omni-channel Retailing and Supply Chains (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
RMIT University

Business Futures: Understanding Omni-channel Retailing and Supply Chains (FutureLearn)

Explore how shopping has changed with this course that demystifies the new world of omni-channel for shoppers and supply-chain. We no longer only buy products or experience services in physical spaces. We now often buy in-store and online using a laptop, a phone and even a watch. This course demystifies the omnichannel experience, and explores how omnichannel retail and supply chains have changed the production and consumption experience for both enterprises and consumers.

Mar 7th 2022
3 Weeks
How to Get A Graduate Job (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Graduate Coach

How to Get A Graduate Job (FutureLearn)

Make your graduate job search easier and land the graduate job you want with help from the UK's leading graduate coaching company. Understand the graduate recruitment process and prepare for the world of work. As a graduate, deciding which career path to choose, learning how to write a professional CV, and developing the interview skills to secure your dream job can be challenging – especially during these uncertain times. On this course, you’ll follow recent graduates through the highly competitive graduate job application process.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Methodologies for Service Design (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Keio University

Methodologies for Service Design (FutureLearn)

Explore what service design is and how it can help push your business thinking outside of its comfort zone. In an era of unprecedented challenge and change for business, stability is no longer a given. In a time of sudden changes and sharp shocks, its never been more important to be able to think outside the box. On this course, you’ll learn what service design is, and how its methodologies can support business domains and entrepreneurial challenges, with a focus on cases from Japan and around.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
How to Create a Profitable Pricing Strategy (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
EntrepreneurNOW! Network - ENN

How to Create a Profitable Pricing Strategy (FutureLearn)

Learn how to create a profitable pricing strategy for your business with entrepreneur Ken Burke. Decipher how to develop a successful positioning and pricing strategy. This three-week course will teach you the ins and outs of developing a pricing strategy, what your target market is and how you can reach it via a specific messaging strategy or series of strategies. Ultimately, this will help you to better understand and communicate your business’ unique value proposition.

Feb 8th 2021
4 Weeks
Principles of Service Management (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Hanken School of Economics

Principles of Service Management (FutureLearn)

Your customers are your key resource. Explore a service-based approach to marketing and management that can better serve them. Find out what the discipline of Service Management can do for your business. Today an increasing number of companies compete on service, not product. As a result, understanding a service-based approach to business is essential - even for product-based businesses.

Oct 21st 2024
5-12 Weeks
Starting a Business 1: Vision and Opportunity (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Starting a Business 1: Vision and Opportunity (FutureLearn)

Interested in starting a business? This course will help you define your vision and discover opportunities to make it happen. A successful business starts with a clear vision and a thorough understanding of the opportunities available to turn that vision into a reality. Whether you have an idea for a future venture or you already have a side-line business whilst studying, this course will help you consider your vision and explore the opportunities available.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Managing Innovation: Learning to Prototype for Business (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
St George's, University of London,Bayer

Managing Innovation: Learning to Prototype for Business (FutureLearn)

Understand how to pitch innovative ideas using prototypes, and develop your skills by creating your own prototype. In order for companies to remain competitive, they have to create innovative products, processes or services to satisfy new or existing customers. Prototypes allow you to test your ideas early on to get invaluable feedback informing you about what the customers really want.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Starting a Business 4: Business Processes (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Starting a Business 4: Business Processes (FutureLearn)

Understand how business works and performance can be improved so that you can take your business forward and manage growth. A successful business relies on processes and information systems; it is important that an entrepreneur pays close attention to how their business works and how performance can be improved so that they are in a position to take it forward and manage growth.

Self Paced
2 Weeks