The numbers come up in the meeting, and you nod along.
In 2 to 6 weeks, read any financial statement and hold your own in any boardroom. No finance background needed.
Enquire
Live teaching, online or at our Bloomsbury campus in central London.
Sound familiar?
Three moments every non-finance executive knows
- A budget lands on your desk and you sign it, because challenging it would mean admitting you cannot fully read it.
- You skim the P&L in the board pack and hope nobody asks you a direct question about it.
- You approve a forecast on trust, because the person presenting it sounds confident.
None of this means you are bad at your job. It means nobody ever taught you the language.
Where you will be
By the end of this course, you will
Read the numbers in minutes
Pick up a balance sheet, P&L or cash flow statement and know what it is really telling you about the business, without waiting for someone to translate.
Question any business case
Challenge a forecast or investment proposal with confidence, and spot the assumption that is doing all the work.
Defend your own budget
Build a departmental budget you understand line by line, and argue for it in the room instead of inheriting someone else's numbers.
The syllabus, in plain terms
What you will actually learn
Financial statements
Develop a clear, practical understanding of the three core financial statements: the profit and loss account, the balance sheet and the cash flow statement. Learn how to read each, understand what it tells you about a business and use it to ask better questions.
Cash flow management
Understand why cash flow is the lifeblood of any business and how it differs from profit. Learn the basics of cash flow management, the common causes of cash flow problems and how managers outside the finance function can affect cash outcomes through their own decisions.
Budget planning
Demystify the budgeting process: how budgets are built, what they represent, how they are used to control performance and how managers at every level can engage more effectively with the planning cycle. Learn how to build a simple departmental budget.
Profitability analysis
Learn how to assess the profitability of products, customers, projects and business units. Covers contribution margin, gross and net profit analysis, overhead allocation and how to use profitability data to make better commercial decisions.
The remaining sessions apply these four areas to your own role through case discussion, decision tools and a personal implementation plan.
Who teaches it
Taught by finance practitioners
LSBUK short courses are delivered by practitioners who have owned budgets and P&Ls, not just lectured about them. Programmes at LSBUK are accredited through UK awarding bodies including OTHM, ATHE, CMI and CPD, and taught in central London and live online.
Take the first step
Speak to an advisor
Less than the cost of one budgeting decision you could not challenge.
Merit and needs-based scholarships are available. Ask your advisor.
Questions people ask before enquiring
Is this a finance for non-finance managers course?
Yes. It is built for managers and executives outside the finance function, from team lead to director. It starts in plain language, so no finance background is needed.
Can a complete beginner take it?
Yes. There are no prerequisites and no prior finance experience is required. It begins with how to read the three core financial statements, not with accounting theory.
Is it suitable for directors and board members?
Yes. Reading a P&L, challenging a forecast and defending a budget apply directly to senior and board decisions. Tell your advisor your role and they will pitch the sessions to it.
How much does the course cost?
£605 live online, or £854 on campus at Bloomsbury. Merit and needs-based scholarships are available, so ask your advisor before enrolling.
Is there a free version of this course?
No. It is a live, practitioner-taught course, so it is paid. Scholarships based on merit or need can reduce the cost for eligible learners.
How is it different from other finance for non-finance courses in London?
Live teaching from practitioners who have owned budgets and P&Ls, a central London campus at Malet Street with a live online option, and no prerequisites. You also build a budget and an implementation plan for your own role, not a generic case study.
Is this a short course, and how long does it take?
Yes. It runs over 2 to 6 weeks and is designed to fit around a full-time role. Your advisor helps you set a pace that fits your diary.
Online or on campus, which should I choose?
Both cover the same material with live teaching. Live online suits a busy travel schedule; the campus option runs at Malet Street in Bloomsbury, London. You can tell us you are not sure yet on the form.
Do I get a qualification or certificate?
You receive a certificate of completion from London School of Business UK. LSBUK's wider programmes are accredited through UK awarding bodies including OTHM, ATHE, CMI and CPD. For specific professional recognition tied to this course, confirm it with your advisor before enrolling.
Is there an exam?
No formal written exam. You are assessed through applied work, including case discussion and a personal implementation plan you build for your own role.