Commercial Awareness and Business Decision Making Skills

Paul Rodgers trained as a chartered accountant before working in the computer industry. He subsequently moved into the training sector where he has specialised in financial and management skills for more than seventeen years, whilst keeping in touch with the commercial world as a director of a large training organisation and its publication function.Clients have included participants from international accountancy practices, banks, government departments plus a wide range of retail and service companies.Since the introduction of international accounting rules, his skills in this area have been required by numerous organisations preparing for the transition. He also continues to provide a broad spectrum of training as well as undertaking editorial assignments for both professional bodies and private clients. His most recent projects are the establishment of an accountancy division within a leading City based training company and the design of bespoke training courses for the legal sector

Introduction; The purpose of financial information - Getting inside the mind of an accountant - Getting inside the mind of an economist - Financial and management accounts – Why care about the differences - The building blocks - Seeing double!; Matching the Numbers to the Buying and Selling Process; The snapshot – Assets and liabilities; The Video – Income and expenses; Cash is King; The tricks people play – Provisions - Dealing with uncertainty - Commercial substance over legal form; Adding Value - Common size accounts - Ratio analysis made easy - Understanding risk; Pictures and Words – Understanding the extras;. Yet another professional – The Auditor!; Key point summary.