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Fundamentals of Business Finance, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women, Sarah Underwood, Anne Donnellon, Mori Taheripour, Michael Fetters, Geetha Krishnan, and Edward David

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.

This course will introduce you to business finance, and show you how to use financial statements to understand and monitor your company’s financial position in order to make key business decisions.

The exercises will introduce you to the Income Statement and Balance Sheet. Interpreting these statements and calculating key financial ratios such as net profit margin and current ratio will give you a clear understanding of your current business performance. With this information, you will have the skills to assess the financial implications of your growth opportunity more accurately.

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.

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Syllabus

Fundamentals of Business Finance, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

This course explores why understanding and monitoring your financial position is essential when making business decisions to drive your business’s growth. The exercises contained in this course help you to understand and interpret two key financial statements that are crucial when growing your business. The aim of the course is for you to understand the current financial performance of your business.

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Designed for entrepreneurs ready to take their business to the next level

Introduces business finance and its role in making key business decisions

Teaches financial statement interpretation and key financial ratios for business performance analysis

Empowers learners to assess the financial implications of growth opportunities accurately

Part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women collection, offering a tailored learning experience

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Reviews summary

Fundamentals of business finance

Learners say this course is largely positive, with easy-to-understand explanations, clear explanations, and practical examples. The course goes over the basics of finance, including income statements, balance sheets, and financial ratios. Students who had no prior finance experience found it particularly helpful. The course is highly recommended for women who want to start or grow a business.

The course is suitable for beginners with no prior finance experience.

"This course covers 2 basic financial documents- the Income Statement and Balance Sheet. I was familiar with them and felt comfortable but I think a Beginner could benefit from a few more examples."

"If you are someone who has zero knowledge of accounting and finance, then this course is for you. It explains the very basic and simple concepts of financial statement analysis. Beginner level."

"A very good and informative course for the beginners especially for those who are not from finance background. It can be of great help to those who have little knowledge in Finance and want to start their own business. This course is very crisp and to the point."

The course is highly recommended for women who want to start or grow a business.

"This course is an eye opener. It made me understand the financial statements in a way that I can analyse my statements and be able to take business decisions"

"This is the most important aspect to understanding your business! This course is a real eye-opener and extremely helpful in providing clarity for women business owners. I highly recommend it."

"The course is very information and easy to understand for a person like me, who knows very less about accounting and finance."

The course explains financial concepts in a way that is easy to understand.

"Excellent fundamentals course for understanding business finance terms and why and how ratios and used, balance sheets and income statements."

"This course was simple to follow and easy to understand, Add value to knowledge and provided the ability to better understand how and whether my business was actually making a profit and what the movement on my income statement and balance sheet truly meant."

"Thank you for this free offering. I feel much better about the basic numbers on the balance and PL statement. I still need to expand on the ratios, but a great start. Thank you!!"

The course uses practical examples to illustrate financial concepts.

"It provides a good foundation understanding of the business finance, covering income statement, balance sheet and analyzing these statements with fundamental ratios to identify the business performance."

"The information was explained in a really nice way that I found interesting and easy to understand, and covered some very helpful business info. It had a nice mix of videos, things to read and quizzes which kept me engaged. I really enjoyed this course"

"The course is well-designed. Financial terms and concepts are well explained and discussed in a manner that is easy to understand, even if someone is without a finance background."

The course may be too basic for some learners.

"It was very basic course. Was looking forward to some more insights. But great for beginning."

"If you are someone who has zero knowledge of accounting and finance, then this course is for you. It explains the very basic and simple concepts of financial statement analysis. Beginner level."

"Was catalogued as Mixed, however it was very very easy"

The course could include more exercises or practice problems.

"some things needed me googling them because they weren't explained that well."

"Missed some details such as calculating Depreciation, Amortization etc. The course is otherwise very helpful for a beginner from a non-financial background."

"I found the course very instructional and i have begun to practice some of the things i have learnt from it."

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 Business Finance, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women with these activities:

Review strategic business decision making

Show steps

Sharpen your ability to analyze and understand key business financial statements.

Browse courses on Strategic Decision Making

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Read the book 'Financial Intelligence for Dummies' by Eric Tyson.
Take a practice quiz on balance sheets and income statements.

Watch a tutorial on how to use financial modeling software

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Enhance your understanding of financial modeling techniques.

Browse courses on Financial Modeling

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Find a tutorial on how to use financial modeling software.
Watch the tutorial and follow along with the steps.

Read the book 'The Lean Startup' by Eric Ries

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Gain insights into the principles of the Lean Startup methodology.

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

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Read the book and take notes.
Apply the principles of the Lean Startup to your own business.

Five other activities

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Practice calculating key financial ratios

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Strengthen your ability to understand and use key financial ratios.

Browse courses on Financial Ratios

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Find a list of key financial ratios.
Practice calculating these ratios using financial data from a company's financial statements.

Create a financial plan for your business

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Apply the concepts of business finance to your own business.

Browse courses on Financial Planning

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Identify your business goals and objectives.
Gather financial data about your business.
Create a financial plan that outlines your business's financial strategy.

Join a study group to discuss course material

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Engage with other learners and reinforce your understanding through discussion.

Browse courses on Collaboration

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Find a study group or create your own.
Meet regularly to discuss course material and work on projects together.

Attend a networking event for entrepreneurs

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Network with others in the business community to learn from their experiences.

Browse courses on Networking

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Find a networking event for entrepreneurs.
Attend the event and meet new people.

Write a blog post about the importance of business finance

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Demonstrate your understanding of business finance by creating a piece of content.

Browse courses on Business Finance

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Choose a topic related to business finance.
Research the topic thoroughly.
Write a blog post that is informative and engaging.

Career center

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

Financial Analyst

As a Financial Analyst, you will be closely involved in the financial health and forecasting of a business. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course will help you to understand how to monitor and interpret a company’s financial performance, which is essential for recommending sound business decisions. The course teaches you to analyze financial statements and calculate key ratios, which are essential skills for a career as a Financial Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Accountant

Accountants are responsible for managing financial information, and preparing and analyzing financial statements, many of which are explored in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course. The course also guides you to look at key financial ratios that can provide insights into a firm’s financial strength and performance. The knowledge you will gain from this course can help you become a more effective Accountant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Accountant

Business Analyst

Business Analysts study business processes, including the financial aspects, to improve efficiency. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course includes exercises designed to help you understand business finance, making it an asset for your career as a Business Analyst. It will provide you with a solid understanding of financial statements, which are essential tools for Business Analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Financial Manager

The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course is highly relevant to the Financial Manager role. It provides a solid grounding in business finance, which is essential for making sound financial decisions. Additionally, the course covers key financial ratios that are used to evaluate a company's financial performance, which is a key responsibility of Financial Managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Manager

Auditor

Auditors examine a company's financial statements to ensure that they are accurate and fairly presented. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Auditor. The course covers the basics of financial accounting and auditing and provides an overview of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

See salaries and explore the career path for Auditor

Budget Analyst

Budget Analysts plan and develop an organization's budget, and they monitor and track expenses. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Budget Analyst. The course covers the basics of financial accounting and budgeting, and it provides an overview of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

See salaries and explore the career path for Budget Analyst

Tax Accountant

Tax Accountants specialize in the preparation and filing of taxes for individuals and businesses. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Tax Accountant. The course covers the basics of tax accounting, and it provides an overview of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).

See salaries and explore the career path for Tax Accountant

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisors help individuals and businesses manage their finances. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Financial Advisor. The course covers the basics of financial planning and investment management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Advisor

Investment Analyst

Investment Analysts research and evaluate investments for individuals and institutions. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Investment Analyst. The course covers the basics of financial analysis and investment management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Investment Analyst

Portfolio Manager

Portfolio Managers manage the investments of individuals and institutions. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Portfolio Manager. The course covers the basics of portfolio management and investment analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Portfolio Manager

Risk Analyst

Risk Analysts identify and assess risks for businesses and organizations. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Risk Analyst. The course covers the basics of risk management and financial analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Analyst

Credit Analyst

Credit Analysts assess the creditworthiness of individuals and businesses. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Credit Analyst. The course covers the basics of credit analysis and financial modeling.

See salaries and explore the career path for Credit Analyst

Commercial Banker

Commercial Bankers provide financial services to businesses. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Commercial Banker. The course covers the basics of commercial banking and financial analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Commercial Banker

Investment Banker

Investment Bankers provide financial services to corporations and governments. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Investment Banker. The course covers the basics of investment banking and financial analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Investment Banker

Private Equity Analyst

Private Equity Analysts evaluate and invest in private equity funds. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women course can help you develop the skills needed to be a successful Private Equity Analyst. The course covers the basics of private equity investing and financial analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Private Equity Analyst

Reading list

We've selected nine books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Fundamentals of Business Finance, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women.

Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs

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Is an easy-to-read introduction to financial concepts such as profit and loss, cash flow, and balance sheets. It focuses on practical applications of these concepts to help entrepreneurs understand and manage their finances more effectively.

Fundamentals of Business Finance, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

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What's inside

Syllabus

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Save this course

Reviews summary

Fundamentals of business finance

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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