Fundamentals of Financial Planning, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women from Coursera

This free online course is one of 10 courses available in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women collection, designed for entrepreneurs ready to take their business to the next level.

In this course, you will understand the value of financial planning and how it can help you to assess business opportunities. You will consider the cash flow cycle of your company and its impact on business growth and success.

You will hear from Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women alumni as they share the benefits of cash flow analysis, and explore exercises that will guide you through understanding, creating and interpreting your Cash Flow Forecast.

You will develop essential skills for forecasting the cash flow needs of your business. By the end of the course, you will feel more confident evaluating business opportunities and predicting future financial challenges, so that you can make strategic decisions for your business as it grows.

To complete all the exercises in this course, you will need to gather key financial information from your business. If you need help understanding your business’s finances, you can complete one of the other Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women courses, ‘Fundamentals of Business Finance’, to help you prepare.

The 10,000 Women course collection offers a truly flexible online learning experience. You have the freedom to approach the program in any way that works for you – take any course, or combination of courses, to tailor your learning journey to your individual business growth needs. If you choose to take all 10 courses, you will explore all the key elements of your business and develop a thorough plan for your business’s growth.

You can find out more about the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women collection in the FAQs.

What's inside

Syllabus

Fundamentals of Financial Planning, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

This course looks at cash flow in your business, and the impact this can have on your success. The exercises guide you through understanding and interpreting a Cash Flow Forecast, which is essential to predicting, and improving your future cash flow needs. The aim of the course is for you to be able to predict financial challenges, so that you can make strategic choices for your business.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches methods to predict future business challenges and make informed financial decisions

Builds a strong foundation for those already working in financial planning

Taught by instructors with experience at Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women and other relevant institutions

Introduces skills, knowledge, and tools highly relevant to entrepreneurs and business owners

Reviews summary

Goldman sachs 10,000 women: financial fundamentals

According to students, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women: Financial Fundamentals is a highly-rated course that teaches entrepreneurs, and small business owners the basics of financial planning, management, and forecasting. Students say this course is essential for understanding how to create and maintain a successful business.

Course is well organized and easy to understand

"Clear and easy to understand."

"The course is very well organized and easy to follow. "

"This free course is very helpful especially for those people who have no backgorund in management and accounting. The terms are simple and used well. Easily understandable"

Skills and concepts are applicable to real world business scenarios

"very practical and detailed approach to helping you get it. highly interactive too. i loved it!"

"Such a well-designed course! It provides hands-on activities that build upon theoretical knowledge. By the end of the course, you will have useful templates and practical knowledge."

"The course is of much importance and we'll presented"

Course does not provide a certificate upon completion

"A certificate should be provided for completing the course"

"A good course but would be better if it included a certificate "

"i am done with the course, from where can I download my certificate now?!"

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Fundamentals of Financial Planning, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women with these activities:

Review cash flow fundamentals

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Review the basics of cash flow to ensure a solid understanding of the concepts covered in the course.

Browse courses on Cash Flow Analysis

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Read the course syllabus and identify key concepts related to cash flow.
Review your previous notes, textbooks, or online resources on cash flow analysis.

Offer guidance to other students on cash flow concepts

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Reinforce your understanding of cash flow concepts by assisting and guiding other students, promoting active recall and solidifying your knowledge.

Browse courses on Cash Flow Management

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Identify opportunities to mentor or assist other students in the course or through online forums.
Provide clear explanations, guidance, and support on cash flow-related topics.

Answer practice questions on cash flow analysis

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Practicing cash flow analysis will help you to understand how to interpret financial statements.

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Find practice questions online or in textbooks
Solve the questions and check your answers
Review the concepts that you are struggling with

12 other activities

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Watch tutorials on cash flow management

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Watching tutorials will help you to learn more about the basics of cash flow management.

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Search for tutorials on YouTube or other online platforms
Watch the tutorials and take notes
Apply the concepts that you learn to your own business

Attend a networking event for entrepreneurs

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Networking with other entrepreneurs can help you to learn new ideas and build relationships.

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Find a networking event in your area
Attend the event and introduce yourself to other entrepreneurs
Exchange contact information and follow up with those you meet

Join a study group for this course

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Joining a study group can help you to stay motivated and learn from others.

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Find a study group or start your own
Meet regularly with your group to discuss the course material
Share your knowledge and support each other

Attend a workshop on cash flow forecasting

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Attending a workshop will provide you with practical instruction and guidance from experts.

Browse courses on Cash Flow Forecasting

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Find a workshop in your area
Register for the workshop
Attend the workshop and participate in the activities

Analyze a sample cash flow statement

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Practice analyzing real-world cash flow statements to develop a deeper understanding of how they are used in business decision-making.

Browse courses on Financial Analysis

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Obtain a sample cash flow statement from a publicly traded company or industry report.
Identify the key components of the cash flow statement, such as operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities.
Calculate key ratios and metrics, such as cash flow from operations and free cash flow.

Attend a workshop on cash flow management

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Gain practical insights and learn from experts in cash flow management through a dedicated workshop.

Browse courses on Cash Flow Management

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Research and identify relevant workshops or seminars on cash flow management.
Register and attend the workshop, actively participating in discussions and exercises.
Follow up with the workshop organizers or speakers to clarify any questions or explore further resources.

Read The Lean Startup

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This book is a great overview of how to develop and validate your business ideas.

View The Startup Way: How Modern Companies Use... on Amazon

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Read the introduction and first three chapters
Summarize the key concepts in the book
Identify how you can apply these concepts to your own business

Develop a cash flow forecast

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A cash flow forecast will help you to predict your business' financial performance and make better decisions.

Browse courses on Cash Flow Forecasting

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Gather your financial data
Create a spreadsheet to track your income and expenses
Forecast your future cash flow
Review your forecast regularly and make adjustments as needed

Write a blog post about cash flow management

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Writing a blog post will help you to synthesize your knowledge and share it with others.

Browse courses on Cash Flow Management

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Choose a topic for your blog post
Research the topic and gather your thoughts
Write a draft of your blog post
Revise and edit your blog post
Publish your blog post

Contribute to an open-source project on financial management

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Contributing to an open-source project will give you hands-on experience and help you to build your skills.

Browse courses on Financial Management

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Find an open-source project on financial management
Identify a way to contribute to the project
Make a pull request with your contributions
Respond to feedback and make revisions as needed

Create a cash flow forecast for a business

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Develop practical skills in forecasting cash flow for a business, which is essential for making sound financial decisions.

Browse courses on Financial Planning

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Identify the relevant assumptions and drivers for the business.
Use financial modeling software or spreadsheets to create a cash flow forecast.
Analyze the results and identify potential risks and opportunities.

Write a blog post on cash flow management strategies

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Synthesize your understanding of cash flow management and share it with a wider audience through writing, reinforcing your knowledge and promoting deeper engagement with the topic.

Browse courses on Cash Flow Management

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Research and gather information on effective cash flow management strategies.
Outline the key points and structure of your blog post.
Write the blog post, clearly explaining the strategies and providing examples.

Career center

Learners who complete Fundamentals of Financial Planning, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs start and manage their own businesses. This course may be useful for Entrepreneurs, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Entrepreneur

Actuary

Actuaries assess the financial risk of insurance policies. This course may be useful for Actuaries, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Actuary

Investment Banker

Investment Bankers help businesses raise capital and provide financial advice. This course may be helpful for Investment Bankers, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Investment Banker

Portfolio Manager

Portfolio Managers manage investments for clients. This course may be useful for Portfolio Managers, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Portfolio Manager

Risk Manager

Risk Managers identify and manage the risks that a business faces. This course may be useful for Risk Managers, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Manager

Financial Planner

Financial Planners help individuals and businesses plan for their financial future. This course may be useful for Financial Planners, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Planner

Credit Analyst

Credit Analysts evaluate the creditworthiness of borrowers. This course may be useful for Credit Analysts, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Credit Analyst

Cost Analyst

Cost Analysts help organizations track and control their costs. This course may be useful for Cost Analysts, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cost Analyst

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisors provide financial advice to individuals and businesses. This course may be useful for Financial Advisors, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Advisor

Management Consultant

Management Consultants help businesses improve their performance. This course may be useful for Management Consultants, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant

Financial Controller

Financial Controllers are responsible for the financial management of a business. This course may be useful for Financial Controllers, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Controller

Budget Analyst

Budget Analysts help organizations develop and manage their budgets. This course may be useful for Budget Analysts, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Budget Analyst

Business Consultant

Business Consultants help businesses improve their performance. This course may be useful for Business Consultants, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Consultant

Accountant

Accountants are responsible for managing the financial records of a business. This course may be useful for Accountants, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Accountant

Financial Analyst

Financial Analysts are responsible for analyzing and interpreting the financial performance of a business. This course may be useful for Financial Analysts, as it provides a foundation in financial planning and analysis. The course covers topics such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, and evaluating business opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst